


Hysteria

by ShadowInTheDusk



Category: Lost Boys (1987)
Genre: Family, Friendship/Love, Horror, Humor, Multi, Other, Supernatural Elements, Suspense, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-02
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2017-12-07 05:59:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 38,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/745099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowInTheDusk/pseuds/ShadowInTheDusk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Violet's nightmares have been forcing her to suffer ever since she moved to Santa Carla. It doesn't help that the Lost Boys won't stop harassing her. What happens when she finds a connection between the two? It may cost her very life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet's nightmares have been forcing her to suffer ever since she moved to Santa Carla. It doesn't help that the Lost Boys won't stop harassing her. What happens when she finds a connection between the two? It may cost her very life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, children of the night! I am your writer, ShadowInDusk. I was invited to this website with the intention of sharing my fanfic by a lovely friend of mine that goes by the name of Saer. It is thanks to them that you are now reading this story. I apologize in advance for the fairly short chapter, but they will get progressively longer. I've had the majority of this story written up for a while and I'm most definitely plan on finishing it! I hope you enjoy!

  
****Disclaimer: I do not own the Lost Boys, just the original characters and the majority of the plot in this story** **

* * *

_-Feet stumbled dangerously across a rocky cliff side. A young woman, wild with fear, was running from something. She wasn’t entirely sure of what it was; all she knew was that her body refused to stop moving. The laughs and torments were reason enough not to turn back. Usually, she didn’t care for such things. Habitually she would be strong and fight back. This time was different, like this particular situation would definitely cost her._

 _As she tried desperately to get away, the roars of motorcycles gained their pace. The cliff was no advantage to the woman either. The rocky climate kept tripping her, tearing at exposed skin on her legs. It was as if the cliff was on their side. When she tripped exhausted over a sharp part of the cliff, she found herself unable to get up._

 _

The motorcycles had pulled up to a stop right behind her. Finally, she turned to see her makers. Four pairs of eyes stared cruelly at her, orange and yellow like hellfire. The vicious laughing continued as the four faces were revealed in to moonlight. One smiled, flashing a mouthful of sharp teeth. Screams escaped the woman’s mouth as they swooped in, leaving her vision in complete darkness.

-_

Violet Eaves woke with a disoriented start. She found herself sore and gasping for air, crash landed on the hardwood floors of her bedroom. The dreams were becoming more realistic than ever. She could still feel the scrapes along her legs and the sting of the wind across her face. She checked across her body to see if there were really any wounds at all. To her surprise, there were none. 

“Damn nightmares, leave me alone”, she grumbled. 

Slowly, she untangled herself from the blankets, brushing her hands over her legs to rid the stinging sensation. With a look to the clock, Violet groaned; 8 PM, two hours before work started. ‘Just my luck’ she thought. She got up from the floor and walked through the apartment's hall to her tiny bathroom clad only in a t-shirt 3 times too big for her slender frame.

As she leaned over the bathroom sink to look in the mirror, Violet’s reflection look back at her with a fright. Her cropped ash black hair stuck out in every direction, leaving her no choice but to wash it. Her oval face was pale with sleep deprivation; dark circles framed her celery green eyes, making them glow. Violet made a face at her appearance. “I look like a zombie” she muttered, then walked over to the shower to turn on the hot water.

Sleep deprivation was hard on Violet’s body. Working the graveyard shift at a late-night diner required a lot of sleep, which ever since Violet moved to Santa Carla, California, had a lack of. It wasn’t that the people were strange or rude. In fact, moving from Ann Arbor, Michigan had prepared her for all walks of life. She had seen it all at Lou’s Diner on the boardwalk: Punks, Surfers, Jocks, Hippies, Truckers, Tourists, you name it. Violet was a well balanced person. She kept to herself at work and was a comfortable person to be around. Very few dared to bother her, but anyone who was dumb enough to get in Violet’s face was quickly put in their place and kept their mouths shut. She could hold her on and wasn’t afraid of anything.

Yet for the past six months, horrifying dreams kept haunting her. She’d wake up gasping and throbbing in pain completely terrified. Violet’s legs still felt raw as she stepped under the hot water of the shower. Her mind replayed the dream's events, but she tried to shove them away. That didn’t matter right now; couldn’t matter. _‘ I need to suck it up and get ready for work.’_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for checking out the first installment! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
> 
> \- ShadowInTheDusk


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet's nightmares have been forcing her to suffer ever since she moved to Santa Carla. It doesn't help that the Lost Boys won't stop harassing her. What happens when she finds a connection between the two? It may cost her very life.

The boardwalk was a sea of color and light by the time Violet arrived on her Triumph Bonneville motorcycle. She pulled in front of Max’s Video Store and turned the engine off.  As she reached into her bag to find a bobby pin, a gang of young bikers pulled in around her, revving their engines loudly. The sound made Violet jump a little. Out of curiosity, she looked to see who the group was.  With slight surprise, she found that they were actually staring at her.

They weren’t just any bikers from what she could tell. The one closest to her right appeared to be the leader. He had short blonde hair with a scruffy beard and a smirk on his face. His dark clothing made the pale of his skin stand out. The icy blue color that belonged to his eyes dug at her, forcing her to look at the rest of the group. The biker next to him appeared to be his right hand man. He had the features of Native American heritage, yet was also pale. His long, dark hair went to his shoulders, which were clad only in a leather jacket and jeans.  Unlike his leader, his eyes were deep brown with an utmost peace to them.  On her right side were two other blondes.  One of them was lanky and thin, with wild locks that resembled Twisted Sister.  Laughter danced in his robin egg blue eyes while a crazy smile spread across his face. The other was complete opposite.  His curly hair and mischievous Cheshire cat smile made him cherub like. He was definitely the most colorful of the group, wearing a bright patched up jacket. Though they looked like an interesting ensemble, there was something dangerous about them. Everything in Violet’s gut told her to get away as fast as humanly possible, so she gave them a look of distain and hopped off her bike. A few steps onto the sidewalk and she thought she had lost their interest. That was until she heard one of them call after her.

 “Hey sweetheart, how about you and I go catch a bite to eat?”

Violet turned back to see Twisted Sister grinning from ear to ear, delighted he caught her attention. She had to force back the short laugh that was caught in her throat. _'Please, like I got time for the likes of you.'_  “In your dreams, Blondie. I got somewhere to be.”

He got off his bike and cut her off. “Where’s that?” “None of your damn business.” His friends ooed at her snappy remark. She went to move around him but he blocked her path. “Oh come on, sweetheart” he beckoned. “Are you fucking delusional, Blondie? I said I had somewhere to be. This may be a bit of a shock to you but some of us have jobs, and I'm about to be late to mine no thanks to you. Now if you know what’s good for you, you’ll get out of my way.” The rest of the boys laughed as she shoved past him.

“I’ll see you later, sweetheart!” he shouted after her. “I sure as hell hope not!” Violet yelled back. She hurried down the street and zipped in through the door of Lou’s Diner.

She almost broke the door as she slammed it shut, storming her way to the back room to hang up her leather jacket. “Geez Vi, you nearly tore the door off!” Lou exclaimed from his office. He got up from his chair and stood in the door way. “What’s got you riled?” Violet turned to him with a furrowed brow. “I’m sorry about the door, Lou. Some idiot tried to pick me up. Three of his friends were there too. If I was actually stupid enough to leave with them, there's no way in hell I would've have stood a chance.”  “Smart girl you are, Violet," Lou nodded. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders for a nineteen year old.”  Violet shrugged; “I try”, then punched in her time slot and proceeded to the front of the diner.

She was real fortunate to have a boss like Lou. A lot of other restaurants were uptight and “didn’t tolerate such behaviors”, or so Violet was told. Luck was on her side the day he took her as a waitress. Three months ago, she was a broke college student who was about to be evicted from her apartment, and there was no way she was going to stoop to some low jobs like other girls she knew. Lou was a great boss; he ran a tight ship, but he took care of all his employees. Since Violet was still a fresh face, she made sure she always got the job done right and didn’t complain unless with reason.  ‘ _Tonight is going to be a long night_ ’ she thought. It was Friday in mid-October, so there would either be a football team running through or a bunch of wild teenagers. _‘Good God, I sound like my grandma.’_

-Four Hours Later-

Just as Violet predicted, there was a football game that night. Out of all the restaurants in Santa Carla, the winning team just _had_ to pick this particular diner to celebrate at. Violet was stressed as hell, and she wasn’t the only one. A lot of the other waitresses were constantly being harassed, which made all their moods sour. Many of the customers complained about the noise, though Violet reassured them it’d be taken care of soon. But the team was a rowdy group and didn’t let up. ‘ _I can handle it’_ she thought, _‘They’ll only be here another hour or so’._ That was until one of them decided to get handy. As she walked past their tables to refill a customer’s coffee, she felt a smack across her rear end. Furious, Violet whipped around to see a few of the team members laughing. It was clear who the culprit was due to the fact that he had a smirk on his face. A smirk that quickly melted away and turned into terror when he saw the look in her eyes.

“You think that’s funny? Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?!” She exclaimed.

“Chill lady, it was just a joke” he tried to defend, though rather poorly seeing how the malicious glare he was receiving didn't falter. Violet couldn’t hold it in any longer: “A joke? You call that a joke!? You just went overboard! You guys won’t keep the noise down, you’ve harassed all the waitresses, and now you just sexually harassed me! You’ll be lucky if I don’t report you to my boss!”  “Sorry”, the boy mumbled. “You better be! Now, I think it’s time for you to leave. All of you.” “What!?” the team cried out in protest. “You heard me. You either pay your bills and leave, or I get my boss to kick you out. It’s your choice.”

After ten minutes, the football team shuffled slowly out the door, glaring daggers at Violet. She stood in the middle of the floor with her arms crossed, wearing a face of stone. As soon as they were all gone, she took a deep breath and turned to the onlooking customers. “I apologize to everyone that you had to experience that. It was unmannerly and was not appropriate.” A woman who was sitting at the counter spoke up: “Nah honey, you did what was called for”, she said, “You took care of your own.” Violet gave her a smile of appreciation, and then continued her way to the back of the diner.

The man in the booth was poised, as if what happened didn’t faze him.  He wore pair of beige Buddy Holly glasses and clothing in an attempt to be modern, but on him, did not look right. Violet didn’t see him walk in, but by the size of his shoulders she guessed he was at least six feet tall.

“I’m sorry for the wait, sir”, she said while refilling his coffee, “Can I get you anything else?” “No I’m fine, thank you. I must say, you gave those kids quite a scare” the man said. “Well to be honest sir, someone else would have done the same thing eventually”, Violet reasoned.  “I’m sure they would have. I’m just glad it was you.” He replied with a slight smile.

Violet scanned the man’s face closely. She had seen him somewhere around the boardwalk. “I’m sorry sir, but have we met before? You do look rather familiar.”  “You know, I don’t believe we’ve met formally until now. I own the video store down the street. My name is Max.” He stuck out his hand for her to shake. “I’m Violet. It’s nice to meet you, Max.” she replied taking his hand. The bell above the door rang, indicating more customers walking in.  “I gotta go. It was nice talking to you, Max. I’ll see you around” Violet said, nodding to the group that walked in. “I understand. You be careful, Violet” he said politely, “I mean it.” She smiled and walked her way to the kitchen. As she set the pot down on the coffee maker, Andy, another waitress, came into the kitchen all frantic.

“Oh hey, Andy” Violet chatted. Andy looked at her with a worried expression. “Is something wrong?” she questioned. “I really hate to ask you this because of what just happened and all, but can you take my table for me? They’re the group of people that just walked in.” Andy said apologetically. ‘ _I don’t need this, but she’s acting really weird.’_ “Sure, I’ll take them.  Why are you so startled?” Violet asked. “It’s the Lost Boys, Vi”, she whispered in distress. “Lost Boys? Who in blazes are the Lost Boys?”  “They’re a gang of bikers you gotta watch out for, Vi. There’s something off about those guys. Everyone is afraid of them. They've been on the boardwalk as long as anyone can remember. I’d wait their table, but I’m too afraid. I’m not brave like you” Andy admitted. Violet waved off the bravery comment and patted the other waitress' arm. “It’s not a problem, Andy. Besides, they just came in here to eat. What table are they?” “Table 8. Thanks again, Violet.” “Like I said, don’t worry about it”, she reassured, and began her way out of the kitchen. “Violet” Andy called.  “Yes?” “Be careful”. ‘ _That’s the second time someone has said that to me now’_ , she thought as she continued walking.

Violet didn’t even bother to look up from her notepad when she arrived to the table. She didn’t really care about these so called “Lost Boys”. All she wanted was for the night to be over. “Hi, my name is Violet and I’ll be your waitress this evening. May I start you off with something to drink?”

“Did you know your voice has a southern twang to it when you get angry?”

Violet’s head snapped up to the sound of that voice. Her eyes met robin egg blue ones.  She made an effort to hold in an exasperated groan. “Hello, Blondie.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, my dears! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
> 
> xoxoxoxo
> 
> -ShadowInTheDusk


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet's nightmares have been forcing her to suffer ever since she moved to Santa Carla. It doesn't help that the Lost Boys won't stop harassing her. What happens when she finds a connection between the two? It may cost her very life.

Violet could not believe it. _These_ were the Lost Boys? She expected a gang of burly bikers with long beards and vicious attitudes. Not them. _‘I might as well have a damn heart attack.'_  she thought bitterly. Sitting there was Twisted Sister and the Cheshire Cat one side of the booth, while the Alpha Male and the Brunet sat on the other.

“You didn’t answer my question, sweetheart.” Twisted Sister egged on. Something on the inside of Violet snapped: “Let’s get something straight right now. My name is not, nor will it ever be, ‘sweetheart.’ It’s Violet, so if you’re going keep talking at me you better get it right. And to answer your question, yes, I am fully aware. Now, are you going to take the menus or not?”

The Brunet held out his hand politely for her to give him the menus. The harshness of her voice softened as she thanked him. “Aw chill out, girl! I was just trying to get a rise out of you for shits and giggles. No harm meant.” said Twisted Sister.

“Well to be frank, I’ve had more than enough 'fun' tonight.” “How’s that?” Cheshire Cat piped in. “You know that football team that filed out of here not too long ago? One of them thought it would be funny if they slapped me across my backside. I gave him an earful and kicked them all out.”

The two blondes laughed while their leader lit up a cigarette. “Sounds like you’re quite a spitfire.” he smirked. The gravel sound of his voice sent chills down Violet’s spine. He was more intimidating than she wanted to admit. “We’ve been rude, haven’t we boys?” he continued. “I believe Violet here deserves to know our names. My name is David.”

“Dwayne” the Brunet said shortly after.

“I’m Marko” spoke the blonde, sporting a toothy Cheshire Cat grin. Violet couldn’t help but flash her own.

“And I’m Paul, but you can call me whatever you like.” Twisted Sister flirted. Violet rolled her eyes at him. “Well now that we’re all acquainted, would you guys like to order drinks or should I give you a few minutes?”

“Actually, we’ll be on our way.” David said as he and the rest of the boys stood to get out of the booth. He handed her back the menus. “It was nice to meet you, Violet.”  They all walked out the door.  David turned back to her. “We’ll see you around”, he practically taunted, then shut the door behind him.

Violet stood there completely dumbstruck.  “Those sons of bitches!” she whispered angrily. “They only came in here to find me!” She had half a mind to go tell Lou. Her feet moved all the way to the door of Lou’s office. She raised her fist to knock. Then all of a sudden, Violet stopped. _‘They followed me in here to find me, knowing that it would freak me out’_ she realized. _‘Well two can play that game.’_ A cunning smile spread across Violet's face as she went back into the diner. She was going to get them back, and she was going to get them good.

* * *

 

Two nights later, Violet’s plan was all ready to go. She asked around and it was duly noted that the Lost Boys came to the boardwalk every night. Finding their motorcycles would be a breeze. It was 9:30 PM and since she had the night off, Violet had already been at the boardwalk for an hour buying the supplies she needed. She also found a bench down the pier near Max’s Video Store. Violet had been sitting there for nearly a half hour, waiting.

About twenty minutes later the Lost Boys zoomed past her, yelling and hooting with excitement. Instead of parking in front of the video store, they went two blocks away. _‘They must be going to the bar’_ Violet thought. _‘Figures.’_   Not long after they were gone, she got up and began walking down the street. The boys’ motorcycles were parked near the alley way of the bar. Violet smiled; “Perfect.” Casually she walked over to them, not to appear suspicious. Violet quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching. Luckily the street and the parking lot were clear of people. One that note, she pulled out three giant bottles of paint and a paint brush. “Let the games begin.”

Around midnight, the Lost Boys piled out the door of the bar, ready to feed on the nightlife of Santa Carla. Laughing and shoving each other around, they headed over to the alley way where their motorcycles were parked. As the bikes came in sight, each one of the boys stopped.

“What the fuck!?” Paul yelled, saying exactly what was on everyone’s mind.

There the bikes were, every one of them painted Pepto Bismol pink. Marko and Paul stood there in shock while David and Dwayne decided to investigate. Dwayne discovered a folded piece of paper attached to the handle of Paul’s bike. He picked it up and opened it. “It’s a note.” he confirmed. David took it out of his hands and read it out loud.

“ _‘David, Dwayne, Marko, and Paul,_

_Being messed with is not fun, is it? I hope you all like your new paint jobs. Don’t bother trying to find me. By the time you read this I’ll already be gone. Enjoy your bikes for the rest of the night. All the car washes are closed right now._

_-Violet_

_P.S.: The paint is washable. I’m not that mean.’_ ”

“I’m starting to like this chick.” Marko laughed. Paul began to laugh too and even the corners of Dwayne’s mouth twitched into a slight smile. David however was not amused. “You better kiss Violet goodbye, boys. I’m going to kill her!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay Tuned! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
> 
> -ShadowInTheDusk


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet's nightmares have been forcing her to suffer ever since she moved to Santa Carla. It doesn't help that the Lost Boys won't stop harassing her. What happens when she finds a connection between the two? It may cost her very life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy it is nice to be back. I lost my flashdrive for about two weeks and had several episodes of despair while it was gone, but Lady Luck shined her light on me and I was delighted when I found it hiding away in one of my coat pockets. Now that I have it back I can update on the regular like I originally planned. So without further ado I present Chapter 4! Enjoy!

As the rest of the evening passed on, the hilarity of Violet’s prank was starting to become a buzz kill. At least to the Lost Boys it did.  They were the laughing stock of the boardwalk, and that didn't sit well with them at all. Everywhere they went there was an uproar of giggling and laughing. To make matters worse, they had yet to find a meal. Nobody would approach to them, but not for the usual reasons.  

“Okay, this isn’t really funny anymore. Now I’m just pissed” said a peeved Marko as they walked down the boulevard.  “No shit, dude. We look like a pack of flamers!” Paul shouted. David growled in annoyance. He definitely had enough. He was starving, sick of the humiliation, and their complaints weren’t making it any better.

“Shut up!” he bellowed at them.  “We’ll find her tomorrow night! Violet wish she never crossed us after we’re finished with her. Now stop your whining and shut your mouths!” The pair immediately went mute and they continued walking in complete silence.   _‘Game on, Violet. We’ll see who has the last laugh ‘_ , David thought. _‘You just signed your own death warrant.’_

* * *

On Monday, Violet came into work especially early.  Another horror had plagued her dreams:

_-She was sitting in a meadow surrounded by beautiful wild flowers. The sky was a combination of night and day, with both the moon glowing and sun shining simultaneously. Violet noticed she was dressed in an all white Grecian dress. Her back was exposed daringly, showing off an extravagant tattoo that was usually kept hidden. There was something peaceful about this meadow. The serene aura tempted her to stay forever._

_All of a sudden the sky turned a blood red and the sun and moon disappeared. Flowers in the meadow shriveled up and turned black. The ground dried and cracked. Fog crept around Violet, making her shiver.  Across what used to be the beautiful meadow were four figures walking towards her, completely covered in black. Violet stood, unsure of what to do._

_“Who are you?” she called bravely. “What do you want?”_

_Red glowing eyes stared back at her. Violet was unable to make out any features on the dark figures’ faces. None of them spoke, keeping their pace through the dead flowers. When they crossed to the halfway through the meadow, they stopped. Wearily, Violet stepped towards them. “What do you want?” she asked again._

_The one standing in the middle extended his arm to her.  The palm of his hand was open, like he was asking for Violet’s own. Out of fear she took it, terrified of what they would do if she didn’t. Suddenly his other hand was on her throat. He lifted her into the air, choking her aggressively. A sadistic laughter ensued through the rest of them. ‘This is it. I’m going to die” Violet concluded. Her vision blurred, gradually getting darker. As it went completely black, she heard four words; “Be ready to die.”-_

Violet had woken up coughing and bawling her eyes out. She was more petrified from this dream than any of her previous ones.  ‘ _Why?_!’ she thought, ‘ _Why won’t they stop!?_ ’ After an hour of standing under the boiling water of her shower head, Violet had finally calmed down.  She forced herself to shove the dream in the back of her mind and numbly got ready for work.

* * *

 

Miles away, Marko’s eyes shot open as he fell from the bar his feet were hanging from. He looked up to see if he had woken any other of the boys and was relieved to see they were still asleep. He stood up and brushed himself off. As he flew out of the small cavern, his mind raced as it repeated the events he just dreamt.

  In the dream he was watching a woman sitting in a field of flowers. Her back was facing him, revealing a very detailed tattoo. In the middle her back were black feathers entwined with flowers, circling an image of the sun’s and the moon’s face. Stars also filled the circle behind the sun and moon on an indigo sky that washed into a sunset, indicating dusk turning into night. Blue Morpho butterflies spilled out the circle’s edge, trailing to her left shoulder blade where a larger butterfly was landing on a giant orb. In the orb was the profile portrait of a woman’s face. She was looking up at something, with butterflies and feathers interlinked in her hair.

The woman who had the tattoo was looking up as well. The sky had both the sun and the moon in it, and there was a peaceful aura. Then all flowers in around him died and the sky turned blood red. Across the field he could see dark four figures with red glowing eyes walking towards the woman.

He yelled to her to get away, but she could not hear him. When she stood and took one their hands, he watched in horror as she was lifted into the air and was choked until her death. He heard a voice speak as the dream faded to black: “Be ready to die.” _‘_

 _What the hell was that?’_ Marko thought. He had similar dreams before, but none as realistic as this one. _‘Was that us walking across the field?’_ Marko could’ve sworn that the voice belonged to David.

He walked into the main cavern and sat on the edge of the broken fountain, still pondering over the tattoo on the woman’s back. Unable to erase it from his mind, Marko stood up and swiftly walked over to an abandoned chest in the corner of the cave. He lifted the lid: inside the chest was a colorful world of pencils, oil pastels, paints, paintbrushes, canvas, and paper. He pulled out a large sheet of rough paper and began to draw.

* * *

 

When Violet walked into Lou’s Diner to punch in her time slot, not a single word came out of her mouth. She was too stunned to talk about what happened in her dream with anyone, even Lou. Five hours into her shift, Lou noticed something was wrong. Violet was usually real upbeat and chatted with everyone before the night life rushed in. Tonight she looked like she got hit by a semi truck. The pale of her skin was the color of ash, the twinkle in her eyes wasn’t there.

She had told him before that she had nightmares, but he had never seen her so fragile. Even when they first met and she had practically nothing, Violet held her head high. She could always find the bright side in living the tough life. Right now she looked like she was going to drop dead and didn’t care if she got back up or not.  

To her luck it was Monday and there weren’t many customers around. Lou walked over from behind the counter over to where Violet was clearing off a table. Hearing his footsteps, Violet looked over her shoulder. “Hi Lou” she said shortly as she continued her work.

Lou touched her arm gently. “Violet, why don’t you go home and take tomorrow night off? Alice and I can take it from here.”

“No can do, sir. I got three hours left of my shift and two tables waiting.”

“That’s funny. You look like you’re about to pass out in three seconds.”

“I can take it” Violet said in a determined tone. “I always do.”

“Violet, I know you had another nightmare. I know it must have rattled you real good because you look sick to your stomach. And I happen to know for a fact that if you don’t go home right now, I’m going to shove you out that door. Even if that means I have to drag you kicking and screaming.”

She sighed and leaned off the table. “Fine, I’ll go. Just let me finish up this table, okay?” Lou smiled. “Okay.”

* * *

 

Violet did as Lou told her and went home, but that didn’t mean she had to stay there. She knew the Lost Boys were going to confront her about their bikes one way or the other.

It was an unspoken rule amongst bikers not to mess with each other’s motorcycles, no matter how much you hated them. Violet had definitely crossed that line and was ready to face her makers. She just didn’t know what they were capable of. A handgun lay on her dresser as she changed out of her work uniform. Preparation was key for her protection, and Violet was preparing for the worst. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
> 
> -ShadowInTheDusk
> 
> P.S.: On a previous fanfic site, an author under the name Markolvr gave me an idea for some dialogue, stating that Violet signed her own death warrant. I'm not sure if they hang about on here, but I would like to credit them still :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet's nightmares have been forcing her to suffer ever since she moved to Santa Carla. It doesn't help that the Lost Boys won't stop harassing her. What happens when she finds a connection between the two? It may cost her very life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooo, Readers! You got an update! (clearly I've been watching too much RuPaul's Drag Race.) Enjoy!

Despite it being Monday night, the bar was fully packed. Violet could tell just by the amount of cars and motorcycles in the parking lot. The bar was two blocks away from Max's Video Store. It was the same bar where Violet vandalized the Lost Boys' bikes. It was eerie how the bikes were parked in the same corner near the alley way, like they were waiting for her. Violet watched the alley way cautiously as she walked up to the door. No one was in sight. She released a deep breath and relaxed a little.  _'Here we go'_  she thought as her hand reached for the door handle.

Except it never made it there.

Violet's mouth was covered by black gloved hand. She screamed and struggled with all her might as she was dragged in the alley way. Her elbow hit the ribs of her attacker with a grotesque thwack. A groan came out his mouth as he dropped her. Taking her chance, Violet sprinted towards the end of the alley. She didn't get very far when three others stepped out in front of her. She looked at their faces with wide eyes as they stepped into the light: Dwayne, Paul, and Marko.

"You're not going to get your way out of this one, Violet" a voice said behind her.

Violet turned around, knowing her attacker. "Hello David."

He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and rammed her into wall. Violet hissed as her back hit the cold bricks. As she pushed away from them to face David, he shoved her right back into wall. He held her in place as she shifted uncomfortably to reach into her leather jacket.

"You're going to pay for what you did" David said darkly. "I'm going rip you to shreads."

Violet looked him straight in the eye: "If you're going to kill me, kill me." A click filled the air, one that sounded like unlocking the safety of a gun. "Just know that if you're going to do it, I'm taking you down with me."

David looked down as he felt something cold against his stomach. Pressed into him was the barrel of a .357 Magnum. Violet's finger was on the trigger. "You wouldn't" he irked.

She pressed the barrel in harder. "Try me."

* * *

 

Tension clouded the alley as none of them moved. _'Shit. This girl is serious'_  Dwayne thought. In the past, many individuals stepped over the line and caused trouble with the Lost Boys. They even tried standing up to them, but never had any of them seen a stunt like this. Violet deliberately came looking for them, ruined their bikes, and now had a gun ready to shoot at David. Who the hell did she think she was? Slowly, David let go her and backed away to the other side of the alley. Violet lowered the gun, yet only slightly. She had no way of knowing what they were going to do next.

"Why'd you trash our bikes?" he asked.

"Why'd you follow me into work?" Violet retaliated.

"I asked you first" David calmly retorted.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I trashed your bikes because you threatened me."

"We threatened you?" David mocked with a smirk. "From what I remember all we did was introduce ourselves. Didn't we boys?" The rest of them laughed in response.

Violet raised the gun. "You know damn well what I mean. If you want to talk to someone, you talk to them. You don't come into where they work to sit down and scare the living daylights out of everyone else in order to have them sent in place of another waitress. Now why did you follow me into work?" she demanded.

"We followed you into work to put you in your place." He finally answered.

Violet furrowed her brow in confusion. "What?"

"I'm not sure if you been here long enough to realize this, but we own this town. Nobody talks to us like that, not even a smart mouth like yourself. You'll learn that quick if you want to keep your pretty little head."

"Really? I don't think you're in any position to talk" Violet said as she raised the gun higher.

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong" David said gravely. He took a step forward.

Violet felt fear creeping up on her. "I swear to God if you come any closer to me, I'll blow your fucking brains out."

"And what about Dwayne? Or Paul? Or Marko? Are you going to shoot them too?" he taunted.

"You bet your ass I will."

"Go ahead, Violet. Shoot me. I dare you."

Violet's finger pulled on the trigger. A bullet zipped through the air at David's head… or at where David's head would be if he was still standing there. She looked down the alley way. Marko, Dwayne, and Paul were gone too. Her eyes blinked in confusion. _'Where did they go?'_  she thought as her eyes scanned the alley carefully. All of a sudden there was wicked laughter from above. Violet looked up at the fire escape of the building. There the Lost Boys stood, cackling at her. Violet's knees buckled at the sight of their faces. Every one of them morphed into demonic yellow eyes with sharp fangs. Vampires. Visions of Violet's dreams flashed before her eyes.

"No!" she cried hysterically. "It was just a dream! You can't be real! It was just a dream! It was just a dream!"

Her words caught Marko's attention.  _'It was just a dream? What is she talking about? Is she the…'_

A second shot was fired. Marko didn't finish his thought as he felt incredible force plummet into his chest. He yelled in agony, knocked over the railing of the fire escape by the powerful blow.

"Marko!" he heard Paul scream. Thousands of images flashed in front of Marko's eyes. He came to a realization.

"The dreams!" he called out as he landed across from Violet.

Hands shaking, Violet dropped the gun. Her head was splitting in pain and she felt dizzy. She crawled over to Marko and touched his face. He looked up at her with a hateful expression.

"You can't be real", Violet whispered, "It was just a dream." Her green eyes fluttered shut as she slumped to the ground. 

* * *

 

The rest of the boys flew down, crowding Marko's side.

"Paul, Dwayne! Take them back to the cave! Get that bullet out of Marko's chest!" David ordered. He grabbed the collar of Dwayne's jacket. "I'll get a hold of Max. Make sure when Violet wakes up she knows we mean business. I don't want her going anywhere in the cave, got it?"

Dwayne nodded in understanding. He picked Violet up delicately, Paul doing the same to Marko. The night sky was clear and bright with stars. They flew over Santa Carla with extreme care, not wanting to attract attention. When they reached the cave, Dwayne laid Violet on the couch then rushed over to help Paul take care of Marko. The dim light from the oil drum's fire made the drying blood on Marko's chest glitter. Paul looked at him in distress. Marko groaned as he sat up.

"How ya feelin', bud?" Paul asked in concern.

"Like I got socked by Muhammad Ali" Marko grunted. He glanced to Dwayne. "Will you be able to dig it out, Dwayne?"

Dwayne examined the wound. The bullet was about an inch deep in Marko's chest. "It's not that deep. We'll get it out, Marko. Paul, get the wine. Then help Marko get his shirt off. I'll be right back." Dwayne said calmly as he ran to the back of the cave.

Vampires who were shot always survived unless the bullets were blessed by a priest. It was obvious that Marko was going to as well because Violet had no idea that they were vampires in the first place.  _'What did she mean when she said that it was just a dream?'_  he thought as he grabbed an unopened first aid kit. Whatever she meant, evidently Marko knew what she talking about. He was slightly nervous about the hellish interrogation he knew David was going to put her through. Sure Dwayne was pissed, but her fear was understandable. Why wouldn't she be afraid? He just didn't know how they were going to explain all of this to Max. According to David, Violet and Max had met already. He liked her spirit and mentality.

"She's a real Hellcat" he said. Max was going to be infuriated. He warned them to leave her alone, but like always the boys didn't listen.

 _'He's going to have our heads on a silver platter',_ Dwayne thought. _'Shit.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
> 
> -ShadowInTheDusk


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet's nightmares have been forcing her to suffer ever since she moved to Santa Carla. It doesn't help that the Lost Boys won't stop harassing her. What happens when she finds a connection between the two? It may cost her very life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! Just would like to point that some parts of this chapter are spoken in French. Keep in mind I'm not perfect with conjugating the sentences (I studied French for 3-1/2 years), so I did the best with what I know. There are English translations as well for those of you who have never studied French. I hope you enjoy!

Within a couple hours, Marko was up and moving around. If you saw him in person, you wouldn't suspect that he recently had a bullet shot into his chest. Being a vampire had its benefits. With a little blood and some rest, it was amazing how fast Marko's body had healed. Violet on the other hand was still on the couch passed out cold. Dwayne had removed her effects and was now keeping watch like David ordered. Across the cave, Paul was sitting on the edge of the fountain, "easing the stress" of the events that happened just a few hours before. This consisted of the use of a joint and a lighter. Marko sat alongside his friend, passing the joint back and forth with Paul. His sea green eyes glared daggers at Violet.

"That bitch. I can't believe she did it" He said with a bitter tone.

"Hmm? Did what?" Paul said, clearly high off the substance.

Marko rolled eyes at him. "That she shot me, Paul. I can't believe it."

"Oh! Me either, man. I mean what kind of chick keeps a gun on her?"

"Violet does apparently" Dwayne answered dryly from his seat across from the couch.

"I wonder if she carries stuff like that all the time" Marko mused.

Paul looked to Violet's belongings that sat next to Dwayne's chair. He spotted a black messenger bag covered in patches. A mischievous smile spread across his lips. "Let's find out."

Marko followed his gaze and matched Paul's expression. Together they rose up from the edge of the fountain and walked over to where Dwayne was sitting. He looked at them with slight interest. "What are you doing?"

Paul ignored him as he picked up the bag and dumped the contents of it on the ground. He looked down with raised eyebrows. "Damn. She carries a lot of crap in her bag."

Scattered upon the ground were numerous random objects, though none that would typically be considered feminine. Paul whistled as he picked up a large Bowie knife encased in leather, though Marko paid no attention to him. One item in particular caught his eye.

A silver box lay on top of a scarf. It was aged, probably an antique. Engraved on it was a design of the sun and moon together. It reminded Marko of the tattoo he saw on the woman's back in his dream. Curious, he picked it up from the ground and sat on the edge of the couch at Violet's feet. Slowly he opened the lid. Letters and photographs were piled inside, the majority in black and white. Most of the letters were dated back to the sixties, but they were written in a language Marko didn't understand. A beautiful melody filled the air. A day dream danced in front of Marko's eyes of a place well covered in snow. It was untouched and pure, yet there was an underlying sadness. Like what was once a time of happiness was now lost. Meanwhile, Violet fidgeted and sighed in her sleep.

* * *

 

_-Violet found herself standing in the clearing of a forest. Snow covered the ground, unblemished and glistening in faint light. She walked further into the clearing, observing her surroundings. She had been to this place before. As a young teenager she went there to escape the everyday hardships of life. It became her secret place. Violet had forgotten how peaceful and quiet it was. "Beautiful" she whispered as she looked up at the snow covered branches of the trees. The sound of soft footsteps caused her to turn around. A woman dressed in red and paisley stood before her, smiling happily. Violet's eyes widened as she recognized the woman's face._

_"Mama?" she whispered._

_"Ma petite fleur" (My little flower)_

_Violet ran into her arms. "Pourquoi es-tu ici?"(Why are you here?)_

_She touched Violet's face lovingly. "Violet, tu as besoin te reveille. Ils tu attendant." (Violet, you need to wake up. They're waiting for you.)_

_"Mais non, Mama. Ils sont des mauvaises personnes." (No Mama. They're bad people.)_

_"Le garçon qui a ton coeur est la. Trouvez-il. "(The boy who has your heart is there. Find him.)_

_"Le garçon qui a mon coeur? Je ne comprende pas."(The boy who has my heart? I don't understand.)_

_"Trouvez-il. Tu doit trouver il."(Find him. You must find him) The woman began to fade away._

_"Non! Mama, Je ne comprende pas! Returnee! Returnee!"(No! Mama, I don't understand! Come back! Come back!) Violet called as the clearing illuminated into blinding light. –_

* * *

Violet woke to the sound of music. She recognized the tune immediately. "My music box." She sat up, only to find Marko sitting by her feet on a couch with the silver box in his hands. Violet snatched it away and gave him the evil eye as he was brought out of his trance. Marko looked at her with surprise. She saw the rest of her belongings on the ground.

"Don't you know not to go through other people's things!" she snapped at him.

His look of surprise quickly turned into anger. "Don't you know not to go around shooting people!" Marko retorted.

Violet's blood boiled. "Last time I checked, you weren't really a person. I was doing society a favor by shooting you, but obviously that didn't work out" she argued.

Dwayne was getting annoyed. "Shut up!" He growled.

The pair went quiet. Violet's eyes studied her environment. She'd never seen a place like this before. It appeared they were somewhere underground. It was absolutely remarkable. The broken statues and fountain gave the impression of a sunken museum.  Were they in a cave? 

"Where are we?" she asked, completely puzzled.

Paul yanked her from her seat and spun around. "Welcome to Vampire Hotel, sweetheart" he said with his arms spread out wide.

She furrowed her brow "Are you high, Blondie? I told you not to call me that."

"I believe he's entitled to call you anything he likes after the stunt you pulled" pointed out Dwayne.

Violet scoffed. "I'd rather be killed than treated like a piece of trash."

"That can be arranged." Everyone looked to the entrance of the cave. There David stood, smoking a cigarette.

Violet's jaw clenched as he approached them. The intense stare he gave her just pissed her off more. _'Fucking peachy. Why don't they just kill me already?'_

"Lucky for you though, because it's not going to happen."

"It's not?"

He sat down in an old wheelchair. "No, it's not. I'm going to cut a deal with you instead."

"Cut a deal with me?"

"That's right" he said before taking another drag on his cigarette.

"On what conditions?" Violet questioned.

"You tell us everything we want to know, you live and go home. You don't, you stay with us. It's your choice."

 _'David, what are you doing?'_  Dwayne asked telepathically.

 _' Max's orders. That doesn't mean I like it any more than you do'_  David answered.

 _'Something real strange is going on here'_  Violet thought as she looked at him with narrowed eyes. "That depends on what you want to know."

"I want you to tell us everything."

Goosebumps appeared on Violet's skin. Her face paled. "Everything?" she squeaked as she sat back down on the couch.

David leaned over to look her straight in the eye. "Everything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
> 
> -ShadowInTheDusk


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet's nightmares have been forcing her to suffer ever since she moved to Santa Carla. It doesn't help that the Lost Boys won't stop harassing her. What happens when she finds a connection between the two? It may cost her very life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! Got another one for ya. Hope you enjoy!

"What exactly do you consider everything as?" Violet asked cautiously.

"Your life, why you moved here, the dreams. Every little detail you can tell us that would possibly be involved with this." David specified.

A long silence passed between them. Violet contemplated on whether she should tell them about herself or stay with them. _'The answer should be simple right? I mean if I tell them, I get to leave. If I don't, I have to stay and they'll find out anyway. But why does it feel like something is extremely off?'_ Her gaze moved from the floor to David's face.

"If I'm going to tell you anything, I'm going to need a smoke." She said calmly.

David reached into his coat pocket for his pack of cigarettes, but Violet beat him to it. She picked up the package of cigarillos she recently bought from the mess on the ground. "I have my own, thanks."

"You smoke cigarillos?" said David with a raised eyebrow.

Violet looked at him like he was kidding. "You like cigarettes, they like reefer," she said referring to Paul and Marko and the obvious smell in throughout the cave, "I like cigarillos. Big freaking deal. Each to their own." She lit one and took a deep drag. The sultry smoke soothed her as she exhaled. "I'll tell you what you want to know. I'm just going to warn you that if you're disappointed due to what I say, that's your own damn fault. I'll start you off with the most basic of information there is: My name is Violet Lune de Flores."

"Really? Because according to your license your name is Violet Lune Eaves." Paul interrupted, swinging her wallet back and forth.

"Give me that!" exclaimed an aggravated Violet as she snatched it from his fingers. "I'm changing it. De Flores is my mother's maiden name. The official papers just haven't come in the mail yet. Do you want me to talk or not?"

"Paul, sit down and shut up" said a well composed Dwayne. "Lune is French for moon, isn't it?"

Violet looked to him wearily. "Yes it is."

David leaned back in his chair, observing their interaction. "Continue" he said with a nod.

"I was born on August 17th in 1967. My mother moved from France to Detroit, Michigan after she married my father. It's also where I was born. When I turned five, he left us. After that it was always just the two of us, my mom and I. She constantly talked about going back to France, but we were too poor to move anywhere. We were always scraping up money to make ends meet, but we were alright.

Mom was always so positive. She raised me to be creative and passionate about everything I do. She was truly a beautiful person. The only one who really cared about me. I remember at school I was treated like the scum of the Earth because we were poor and I didn't have a father anymore. After a while, mom got real sick. She was working so hard all the time to keep us off the street, truth be told I think her body couldn't take being tired anymore. It got to the point where she couldn't even get out of bed. When I turned fifteen, she died in her sleep and I had to go live with my dad's parents. You would think they'd want nothing to do with me after my parents split, but they were decent people. They tried to love me the same way my mom did, but they knew they couldn't replace her. They kissed me goodnight before I went to bed, made sure I always did my chores, finished my homework. Typical family stuff, you know?

By the time I graduated high school they were already in their eighties, so when they passed away it wasn't that big of a shock. Old age does that to you. After that I was by myself for a long time. I've never been one to make friends easily, and the ones I did have I shut out. I decided I didn't want stay in Michigan. There were so many memories and so many people who knew about my life. I couldn't stand the thought of someone taking pity on me or seeing me on the street thinking _'There goes that girl with the fucked up life. She'll probably end up like her mother.'_ I needed to get out of that place. So I thought to myself what better place to move to than California? It's on the coast, the weather is nice. Nobody would know me out there. So I sold my grandparent's house, worked a lot of odd jobs, and saved up enough money in order to move here.

I took couple classes at the community college, but I was sick of everything. Who wants to go to college for four years only to end up getting a job they hate? And that bullshit about submitting your entire life to someone in exchange for being "taken care of". I don't want to be that girl that ends up in a loveless marriage and has a couple of kids and does nothing with the rest of her life. What a fucked up dream that is. So I dropped out and started to work again, and now here I am."

* * *

 

The boys sat there for moment taking in Violet's words. She was in Santa Carla for the reasons they were originally were. A chance to get away from a hard life with the hope of erasing their past and starting over. Unfortunately nothing ever goes exactly to plan, and Violet was no exception.

"When did you move here?" asked Paul out of curiosity.

"Six months ago."

"Why haven't we seen you around then?"

 "I just started at Lou's Diner three months ago. I've been working the night shift."

"So what about your dad?" David asked.

"What about him?" 

"Where is he now?"

She flicked ashes onto the ground. " Don't know, don't care. As far as I'm concerned he isn't my father." Violet answered stoically.

"Oh come on, girl. That's harsh." commented Paul.

The cigarillo was tossed in his direction. "Fuck you. You have no say in how I should feel about people. Richard Eaves made it clear he didn't want to be a part of my life. He didn't raise me, he put no effort into keeping contact with me. He's not my father." 

Paul put his hands up in defense. "Sorry I said anything."

"Anything else you want to ask me?" said Violet with her arms folded, obviously agitated by Paul's comment.

"What did you mean when you said it was just a dream?" asked Marko quietly.

The agitation went away and Violet felt sick to her stomach. She wanted to play off the dreams like they were not a big deal, but she knew she couldn't. Not after what happened tonight. "Ever since I moved here I've had these real bad nightmares. I haven't had a decent sleep until now, but then again I was knocked out cold."

"What kind of nightmares?" asked Dwayne.

"I'd dream that there would be four people to kill me. Vampires. In every one I've had I would always be running from them, but they'd always find me. I was never strong enough to fight back. Now I can only assume that they were about all of you."

"When was the last time you had one of these nightmares?" said Marko softly.

"Tonight before I went to work."

Marko's head shot up and looked at her with wild eyes. He grabbed her by the shoulders. "What happened?"

"Why does that matter? We're all here now, and I know what you are" Violet responded with a perplexed expression.

"Please! I need to know."

Marko was really starting to freak Violet out. Paul, Dwayne, and David were also curious about their friend's behavior. They haven't seen him act so strange since he was human. Afraid of what he would do, Violet obliged him. "I was sitting in meadow of wildflowers, looking up at the sky. The sun and the moon were both out at the same time. It was weird, you know? I've never seen anything like it in my life. Then the sky turned red and all the flowers in the meadow died. Four men in all black appeared across the meadow, but I couldn't see their faces. Only four pairs of red glowing eyes. They-"

"They walked across the field and one of them strangled you to death" Marko finished solemnly.

Violet looked at him amazed. "How the hell did you know that?" she asked.

"I had the same dream."

"Bullshit", Violet growled, "How do I know that you didn't fuck with my mind by reading it or something? You can do that, right?"

"Yes we can, but I didn't. I swear" Marko told her.

Violet started to panic. Were they messing with her mind again? She didn't know what to believe. "You're lying."

Marko shoved her away. Everything was coming together. The woman, the constant nightmares. And Violet was going to sit there and call him a liar? It was driving him insane. Marko stood up and walked over to a chest on the other side of the cave. He lifted the lid and pulled out a rolled up sheet of paper. He unrolled it and walked back over to the group with an irritated look on his face. He threw the paper at Violet's feet.

"Does it look like I'm lying to you!" he roared.

Violet stared at the paper with shock. There was a drawing of a woman. On her back was an extremely detailed drawing of Violet's tattoo.

"Oh my God" she whispered in disbelief. "Where did you see this?"

"In the dream I had. Your dream." Marko answered.

Violet slid off her leather jacket and unbuckled the holster from her shoulders. Standing up, she took off her t-shirt and turned around. The Lost Boys stared in awe at the sight of Violet's back. David grabbed Marko's drawing from the floor. He looked from the drawing to Violet's back, and then handed it to Dwayne.

"It is you" he stated. Violet put her shirt back on and faced Marko."Have you had any other dreams like that?" she asked.

He avoided her stare. "Yes."

"For how long?"

"Six months." Tears welled up in Violet's eyes. "What does all of this mean then?"

Marko's expression was somber as he looked at the ground. "I don't know."

"Do any of you know?" Violet asked the rest of the boys, hoping for an answer.

"No we don't," answered David. "But I know someone who might."

"Who?" she questioned, her voice going raspy.

"You can't meet him tonight."

She walked back over to the couch and began to put everything back in her bag. She swallowed hard, trying to push everything away deep inside. When she finished, she stood to slide her leather jacket back on, then strapped the bag across her body. "I want to go home" Violet said with her head held high.

"What!" exclaimed Marko. "You can't leave now!"

Livid, Violet grabbed him by the collar. "Look asshole, David asked me to tell you all everything I knew. I told you everything. He said I could go home. Now I'm getting the hell out of here whether you like it or not!"

Tension built in the air as they stared each other down. David examined the pair, clearly impressed by Violet's aggression. He could tell that she was going to fight tooth and nail to get her way out of here if she had to. "Dwayne, take her home" he said breaking the silence.

Slowly, the grip Violet had on Marko's jacket loosened. She pushed him away and walked over to Dwayne. "My bike is back on the boardwalk" she told him.

Dwayne stood up from his seat. "I hope you like flying."

* * *

Violet handled flying back to the boardwalk surprisingly well. Dwayne followed her all the way home while she rode her motorcycle, even up to the doorstep of her apartment building.

"Don't worry, you'll meet him another night." He said in a soothing tone.

"What?" said Violet, her foot already halfway into the door.

"The man who can possibly give you answers about yours and Marko's nightmares. You'll meet him another time."

She leaned on the doorframe and crossed her arms. "Really? Let me guess, he's a vampire too?" she remarked.

A small smile formed on Dwayne's lips. "Perhaps."

Violet kicked at a small rock on the ground. "Great" she huffed with sarcasm.

Dwayne put his hand on her shoulder, unfazed by her negativity. "I understand that this is a lot to take in, but we're just as clueless. None of us have ever shared dreams with anyone before, let alone a human."

Violet brushed it off. "Thanks for your reassurance, but I've heard enough for one night. I'm going to go to bed and try to forget this ever happened."

Dwayne stepped back. "Good luck with that. I'll see you around."

Before Violet could say another word, he flew off into the night. She stood there for a moment, wondering if he was even really there in the first place. With a deep sigh, she walked into the building and up to her apartment. She unlocked the door and dropped everything on coffee table. _'Jeez, why did I have to pick a building with no elevator?'_ She didn't even bother to kick off her boots as she lay down on her sofa. She was dead tired and about to lose her sanity. Thankful to be home, Violet closed her eyes and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
> 
> -ShadowInTheDusk


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet's nightmares have been forcing her to suffer ever since she moved to Santa Carla. It doesn't help that the Lost Boys won't stop harassing her. What happens when she finds a connection between the two? It may cost her very life.

The hot sun made its debut over Santa Carla, providing a bright and sunny Tuesday morning. Yet for Violet, it was almost torture. Light flooded through the windows into the living room of her apartment. Not used to the sudden brightness, Violet turned over to face the seat of her couch. About ten seconds later she was unable to avoid the rude awakening any longer and slowly rose up into a slumped posture. Memories of the night before played in her mind. Violet looked down at her appearance; she was still wearing her boots, her leather jacket. She held her head.

"What the hell did I get myself into?" she groaned. _'Of all the things to get mixed up with, it had to be vampires! They're not even supposed to be fucking real!'_  The line between fantasy and reality were starting to blur. Did that mean things like werewolves and ghosts existed too? What was going to happen now? Violet mentally slapped herself.  _'I'm going to go insane if I don't pull myself together.'_

She needed a distraction; an insanely mind-boggling distraction to get her through until tomorrow. Violet glanced at the clock on the wall: it was only 10:00 AM. It was rare for Violet to be awake so early, even on a day where she had the night off. As she unlaced her boots and slid off her jacket, Violet decided that she wasn't going to leave her apartment for the rest of the day. No matter what.

* * *

 

By 8:00 PM, Violet was mentally exhausted. Though she desperately tried not to think of the monstrosity of events that happened the night before, her mind always trailed back to it. Even after a day of cleaning, doing laundry, painting, reading multiple books, smoking half a pack of cigarettes, and spending two hours in the bathtub to relax, she was still paranoid. Currently Violet was curled up on her couch watching Breakfast At Tiffany's, but not even Holly Golightly's witty remarks could calm her down. She was afraid that any moment David or Marko was going to bust through her front door and tear her into a thousand pieces. About half way through the movie, the phone rang, causing her to jump three feet into the air and land on the floor with a hard thud. Nervous, Violet's hand hovered over the phone. She really didn't want to pick up the receiver _. 'The Lost Boys'_  she thought. What if it was them? What would they want? What would happen if she didn't answer? Finally Violet realized she couldn't afford to panic.

"Damnit Violet! Pull yourself together!" she growled at herself. Cautiously, she picked up the phone. "Hello?"

There was a brief silence, and then a creepy voice spoke. "Be afraid….be very afraid…."

A loud huff escaped her lips. Now Violet was just annoyed. The last thing she needed was some idiot prank calling her. "Who the _hell_ is this? Listen up pal, I don't have time for prank calls!"

"Hey! Chill out, Violet! It's just me!" a familiar voice laughed.

Violet's anger turned into sudden relief. "Friday Marie Jenkins, I swear to the Lord that I'm going to kill you one of these days!"

"Hey! That's no way to talk to your best friend, now is it? Besides, you wouldn't anyways because you love me."

"One of these days my friend, one of these days. What the hell are you calling me for anyhow? Isn't it the crack of dawn in Michigan right now?"

"It's nice to hear from you too Vi," replied Friday, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "It just so happens that I'm not in Michigan at the moment."

"Well if you're not in Michigan, where are you then?"

"Guess!"

"I dunno, Chicago visiting your brother?"

"Nooooooo"

"Well if you're not there, then I have absolutely no idea."

"That's the point of guessing, silly!"

"Really Friday, I'm not in the mood!", Violet growled into the phone.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you already! Just promise me you won't get mad."

"I can't make any guarantees."

"Violet, please just promise me! Just this one time!"

"Ugh fine, I promise! Where are you?"

"I'm at a bus stop eight blocks away from your building." Friday said reluctantly.

"WHAT!"

"You said you wouldn't get mad!"

"Friday, what the fuck are you doing all the way out here?! Oh God nevermind that, it's night already and you have no place to go!"

"You are indeed right, my dear. I have no knowledge of anyone in this particular part of the country besides yourself."

"Really Friday you worry me sick sometimes, do you know that? You're going to give me a heart attack from grief!"

"I know..." Friday responded with an apprehensive tone.

Violet sighed. "I'm sorry I freaked out on you. I just don't want you to get hurt, you know? I love you too much."

"I love you too, Vi. I just needed to get away is all. Is it alright if I crash on your couch for a little while?"

Violet's stomach started to turn. There was a possibility that the Lost Boys could be nearby, considering what happened after last night. It'd be too dangerous to have someone over. But there was no way she was going to turn Friday away, especially if she was out there by herself. On the plus side, having a familiar face around could ease her nerves.  _'It's not like we're completely incapable of handling ourselves.'_

"It's not a problem. You haven't talked to any strangers, have you?" she said in worry.

"Relax mother, I'm a big girl now." Friday replied sarcastically.

"I'm serious, Friday. It's dangerous out here at night. Make sure you keep to yourself until you get here, alright?"

"Okay, okay. Yeesh! Listen I got to go, the bus is coming down the street. I'll see you in a bit!"

The line went dead before Violet had a chance to say goodbye. Hanging up the receiver, she got up from her place on the floor and paced the living room. "SHIT!" ' _What the fuck am I going to do now?!_ ' It wasn't that Violet was angry that her best friend was going to drop in unexpectedly. Her main concern was for Friday's safety. Here she was stuck in the line of fire, and Friday was going to walk right into the middle of it without any idea of what was going on. It was obvious the Lost Boys knew where she lived since Dwayne followed her home the night before. What were they doing right now? What if they were nearby?  _'Friday would be absolutely screwed if she got caught up in all of this',_ thought Violet.  _'I have to keep her out of it.'_

* * *

About 20 minutes later there was a loud knock on the door. Violet flinched at the harshness of the sound but kept herself calm as she slowly opened the door. Her eyes were met with the sight of a young woman with bright blonde hair and green eyes framed in rectangular glasses. The woman smiled widely, not even letting Violet manage to get out a hello as the she tackled the pajama-clad girl to the ground.

The pair landed on the hardwood floors of the apartment with an intense bang, causing Violet to groan as the woman laughed hysterically. "It's nice to see you too Friday, but you didn't have to throw me to the damn ground!"

"Yes I did! It was absolutely necessary, you see. All the emotion from me missing you so much didn't know what to do with itself until the precise moment I saw you. Therefore, it turned into energy and resulted in me tackling you to the ground."

"Get off!"

Friday got off of Violet and helped her up from the floor. As they dusted themselves off, Violet gave her friend a once over. Friday looked extremely different yet exactly the same. Her hair was still short and pixie like, with the exception of a dark blue streak through her bangs. A piercing was now in the middle of her bottom lip, along with a couple more piercings in her ears. She wore loose dark green cargo pants and a black t-shirt with her dirty, beat up sneakers that she always swore to throw away. The smile on her face was bright as usual, but her eyes told a different story: they looked tired and hurt, but there was no way that Violet was going bombard her with questions right now. She hugged the girl tightly before they dragged in the giant suitcase from the hall.

"Good Lord, Friday! What'd ya put in this thing?" said Violet as she struggled with the weight of it.

"Oh you know, the basics: a couple of bricks, a dead body, and things like that" Friday laughed.

Violet looked at her with wide eyes. "I'm kidding, Violet. Lighten up! You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

"Or something is right" Violet muttered as she shut the door and plopped onto the couch.

Friday sat on the couch next to her. The movie on the television was long forgotten as the pair caught with each other. Violet didn't realize how lonely she actually was until Friday asked her if she knew anyone in town. All of her close friends were back in Michigan, and that number wasn't many.

"The only people I really know around here are the people I work with and this guy that owns the video store down the street from the diner."

"Guy?" Friday asked with raised eyebrows.

"Dude, he's much older. No romantic attachment whatsoever."

" _Sure_ there isn't. Speaking of videos, I think the movie is over." Violet looked to the screen and saw the credits rolling. She ejected the tape and put it back in its case.

"I have an idea. Why don't we go rent another movie from your mystery man's video store?"said Friday with a hint of teasing in her voice.

"Like I said; older man, no romantic emotion. Anyways, it's 9:30."

"So, since when did you turn 80 years old? What happened to the 'Sleep all day, Party all night' Violet?"

"She disappeared when the partying turned into work" Violet said with a sigh.

"Well not tonight! We're going out!" Friday exclaimed.

"I've got work tomorrow, silly. I can't show up with a hangover. Lou will kill me!"

"Then we'll just go rent another movie! No harm required."

Harm was exactly what Violet feared the most. The chance of running into David or any of the others was sending her over the edge. Suddenly something sparked in Violet's soul.  _'What the hell am I hiding for! This is absolutely pathetic! I should be able to leave my own home and go anywhere I damn well please! They let me go already, didn't they? So why am I hiding in my house like a prisoner? There is no way I'm going to let them scare me into becoming a fucking hermit any longer!'_

"Hello…Earth to Violet…" Friday said as she waved her hand in front of Violet's face.

Violet smacked her hand away. "Stop that."

"Good! I thought you were catatonic or something. You spaced out for a whole five minutes."

"Sorry about that. You know what, I've changed my mind: Let's go out. We need to do something in order to celebrate your arrival, don't we?"

"Yes! All the more reason to go out! We shall go where ever the night takes us!"

"Give me about 20 minutes to get ready" said Violet as she walked back to her room. "I hope you got a jacket in that suitcase of yours, because we'll be riding like there's no tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
> 
> -ShadowInTheDusk


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet's nightmares have been forcing her to suffer ever since she moved to Santa Carla. It doesn't help that the Lost Boys won't stop harassing her. What happens when she finds a connection between the two? It may cost her very life.

The ride to the boardwalk was absolutely exhilarating for Violet. The cold crisp air heightened her senses, igniting the spark that urged her to leave the apartment into a roaring fire. The fire blazed into a wash of emotions Violet hadn't felt in ages. Her fear diminished and transformed into a euphoric rush of recklessness. She didn't care didn't if any of the Lost Boys saw her tonight on the boardwalk. The fact that they were vampires didn't scare her right now. She didn't give a damn. In fact, it was almost if she wanted them to see her. All she wanted to do was go out and have wild, irresponsible fun with her best friend, and nothing was going to stand in her way of doing so. As they arrived to the boardwalk, Violet didn't pull into her usual spot in front of Max's Video Store. Instead, she parked right into the bar's lot two blocks away. Violet and Friday got off of the bike and pushed through the doors of the bar. The strong smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke filled the air. As always, the place was crowded and noisy. Music blared over the stereo system, giving the crowd a lively pulse. Many eyes stared as Violet and Friday searched for a place to sit. Whistles and catcalls followed after them as they found a couple of free stools at the bar. The two friends weren't always into the latest fashions or the big 80's hair, but they definitely knew how to turn heads. Violet wore a flowy taupe knee-length dress underneath her leather jacket and black lace up combat boots. The stain on her lips matched the crimson color of her nails that she painted earlier that day. Her hair was a bit messy from the wind, only adding to the impish look on Violet's face. Friday's look on the other hand was a bit rougher. She was dressed in tight faded blue jeans with rips and holes from the knees down, complete with a white Guns 'N Roses tank top, beat up sneakers, and a leather jacket of her own. Friday wore no makeup other than mascara, but was absolutely stunning. About five minutes later, the bartender approached them.

"What are we havin', ladies?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"Straight vodka, please." Friday asked politely.

He motioned to Violet. "And you?"

"I'll have bourbon. No rocks."

The bartender raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure you both can handle that?"

"Do you think we would be asking for them if we couldn't?" Friday answered with a smirk.

"I guess not."

Violet smiled at her friend as the bartender poured them their drinks. When he went away, the pair laughed.

"I've really missed this." giggled Violet.

"And I've missed this!" exclaimed Friday, referring to the atmosphere. "It's been so long since I've been out. I've almost forgotten how fun places can be. That guy didn't even ask to see your ID!"

Violet sipped at her whiskey. Unlike Violet, Friday was actually 21 and legal to drink. "That's Santa Carla for you. They have a strict 'Don't ask, Don't tell' policy, unless it could get them in serious trouble. If you look old enough, they assume you are."

"Well I like it." Friday raised her glass. "Cheers." Violet raised hers and clinked it with Friday's. Tonight was going to be a wild night.

* * *

 

Marko did _not_ want to leave the cave that night. The whole situation concerning Violet bothered the hell out of him. He was annoyed with the idea of someone else with a link to his dreams other than the rest of the boys. He even tried to show them the dreams, but every time he tried, they couldn't see anything. According to David, Marko's mind was completely and totally blank. What pissed him off even more was that the fact it had to be the person that shot a bullet through his chest. Why the hell would Max want them to leave her alive?

Paul couldn't help but notice his friend's mood, so he decided to take Marko to hunt. "Hey bud, how about we go to the bar? It'll take your mind off of shit."

Somehow he had convinced Marko to go out, so now here they were lazing around the boardwalk. Finding a victim was a lot trickier now that autumn had arrived. Though Santa Carla was well populated, summer was long gone. This meant that tourist season was over and the Lost Boys had to more cautious about who they preyed on. The amount of missing people flyers was large enough as it was. For Paul, finding his victims was easy. He worked through the streets of Santa Carla and picked those who wouldn't be missed. Blatantly, Paul was into women, and there was no denying that they noticed him. For Marko, finding his victims was a bit harder. Though Paul's method was ideal, Marko couldn't stand airheads. Sure they were hot and easy to kill, but conversing with them was difficult when every other word that came out of their mouths was 'like'. Marko was no Einstein himself, but that was no excuse to act like a complete dumbass. However, beggars couldn't be choosers, and that was exactly why Marko was following Paul into the bar. The smell of booze and cigarette smoke filled his nostrils, relaxing him. He wanted to forget about everything that happened the night before.  _'Time to load up and party.'_

* * *

After a few drinks, Friday and Violet were laughing away at complete and total nonsense. Everything was just funnier, even the bad things. The world could be ending and Violet would find it absolutely hilarious. Surprisingly, their speech was still intact. If someone was to stumble upon Violet and Friday and didn't know that they were drinking, they'd think that the pair was just delusional. The environment that they were in didn't help much. People were filing into the bar by the minute, making the atmosphere crazier and jam packed. Everything was going perfectly alright. There was no violence or hatred. Not tonight. Everyone who came in was set out to have a good time, and that's exactly what they were going to do. As Friday called the bartender over to order more drinks, a strange feeling began to spread its way through Violet's body. It was similar to the sense of euphoria she felt earlier, but instead of it being reckless, she felt like she had to run away. Something was off: her heart felt like it was too big for her chest, the pitch in her hearing was incredibly sharp. Violet's stomach dropped like it always did when something bizarre was about to happen. Friday observed her friend's expression. Violet looked like she was going to drop to the floor.

"Vi? Are you alright? You look like you're going to be sick."

Violet's head snapped up to look at Friday. She didn't quite catch what her friend had said to her. "What?"

"I said you look like you're going to be sick. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah…I'm fine. I'm feeling a little off is all. It must be the whiskey. Listen, I'm gonna go to the bathroom and cool off a bit."

"Do you need me to come with you?" asked Friday, concerned.

"No, I'll be alright. You stay here and finish your drink okay?"

Friday looked at Violet with a furrowed brow. "Okay, but if you're not back in ten minutes, I'm coming to look for you."

On that note, Violet slid off her stool and made her way through the crowd to the bathroom door. Once inside, she stood against the tile wall and rubbed her face with her hands. She took a couple of deep breaths and looked in the mirror.  _'What is wrong with me?'_ thought Violet as she went to lean over the bathroom sink. Nothing about her reflection seemed wrong. Her face was a little pale, but other than that there was nothing out of the ordinary. Then why was she feeling so weird?

"It has to be the whiskey" she said to herself. But she didn't know who she trying to convince, let alone what she was trying to convince them of.

Violet turned on the hot water and put her hands underneath it. She sighed as the water warmed her icy fingers, helping her to relax. After a couple minutes, she turned the water off and dried her hands on the paper towel nearby. With a final look to the mirror, Violet shook her head and straightened out her shoulders. "You can do this" she said to her reflection, and pushed out the bathroom door to go back into bar.

* * *

 

Marko was now sitting at a table in the back corner of the bar. Paul had left him to chat up some pixie haired blonde he saw sitting on one of the stools. Marko didn't blame him either. The girl was actually real good looking. Not of Paul's usual idea though: a natural beauty. She barely had any makeup on and seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders. Too bad the sitting girl next to him didn't, which was probably why Marko picked her as his victim in the first place.

The girl was about 20 years old, wore too much makeup, and evidently easy. Marko hated her already. For the past 10 minutes she kept leaning into him and touching his leg. She whispered in his ear all things that she wanted to do to him tonight, but the sickly sweet smell of her parfume nauseated Marko. Even her voice was annoying. He felt no pity for was he was going to do to her.  _'She's making this too easy.'_ Suddenly an odd sensation went through Marko's body. A high pitched noise played through his ear, almost like a humming sound. He got the feeling like something weird was going to happen. Marko had the urge to get up and find something, but he didn't know what. His eyes scoped the room carefully. Nothing was out of place. Nobody had seemed out of the ordinary.

 _'Maybe I'm just imagining things'_ he thought. Then Marko spotted a familiar face walking out of the Women's bathroom. One that he no desire of seeing tonight.

_'Violet.'_

Anger radiated through him as he shot up from his chair and shoved his way through the crowd. He ignored the protests of the girl sitting back at the table. Right now, Marko wanted to tear Violet into a million little pieces. All the mattered was that he got across the room. To Hell with Max's orders: Violet was going to wage a war whether she wanted to or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated
> 
> xoxoxoxo
> 
> -ShadowInTheDusk


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my freaky darlings,
> 
> I do apologize for the random timing of updates. I haven't had internet available at my household for a long time and my lovely friend Saer is kind enough to let me use and abuse their computer to follow through with a string of updates. So under the circumstances I will be posting multiple chapters. Hope you enjoy!

Friday was still sitting at the bar, worried about Violet. Even though she had told Friday to finish her drink, she hadn't touched it since the moment Violet left. What was going on with her lately? Violet had been acting weird since the moment Friday arrived at her door. It was true that she had a lot of off moments considering all that happened in her life, but Violet was a strong person. She could always find the bright side to any situation. "It could be worse", she would say. And if Violet ever got into any trouble, she always managed to sort things out. That's just who she was. Tough, but not too tough. She was both a lover and a fighter. But this time was different. Friday could feel it.

"Why the long face?"

Friday looked up, startled. She was so deep in thought that she didn't see the man who was now standing next to her. He was lean and lanky, with a wild mane of blonde hair and robin egg blue eyes. He looked rough around the edges in all the leather he was wearing, but nothing that Friday couldn't fend off.

Finding her jumpiness funny, she laughed. "Oh my God, you scared the shit outta me."

The man laughed with her. He flashed a flirtatious smile. "Not too badly I hope, because I came over here so I could buy you a drink."

Friday smirked as she held up her glass. "Thanks, but I already have one."

He put his elbows on the bar and sighed. "That's too bad. A girl like you shouldn't have to pay for your own drinks."

Friday raised an eyebrow. "A girl like me knows how to take care of herself."

The man leaned in a little, looking her right in the eyes. "Well it wouldn't hurt to keep you company, would it? Even a fine lady like yourself needs someone to talk to."

Friday rolled her eyes at his flattery but smiled anyway. Normally she wouldn't associate with this kind of guy. Sure he was good looking, but his ego could be deflated a bit. He seemed like the sort that was irresponsible and got into a serious trouble. Definitely not what Friday needed at all. Yet for some reason, she found him interesting. Maybe it was out of curiosity. Maybe it was her lack of better judgment due to the alcohol. Whichever it was, Friday was about to allow herself to socialize with him and didn't really mind the possible consequences.

"Go right ahead," she said before she sipped her drink.

He grinned happily as he sat on the stool next to her. Friday stuck out her hand. "I'm Friday."

The smile widened on the man's face as he shook it. "The name's Paul."

* * *

Marko thoroughly enjoyed the expression on Violet's face when she realized he was coming straight for her. Her green eyes were wide, her mouth slightly agape. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights; beautifully priceless. He was a little surprised that she was still standing in the same position then when she stepped out of the bathroom. Most would be running by now, but Violet was perfectly still.

It was as if fate was on Marko's side and froze Violet's momentum for him. He slowed his pace a little to see if she would actually move. Her feet were still glued to the floor even as he was standing in front of her. His sea green eyes were tinged with yellowish orange as Marko looked straight into Violet's. If he was standing any closer to her, their noses would be touching.  His ears began to ring so loud that he could hardly hear his own voice: "You're dead."

Violet could not believe her eyes. Was she having another nightmare? She desperately wished so. She could have sworn she was dreaming when she saw Marko marching through the mass of people right toward her; the moment he was standing in front of her with a hellish look in his eyes. The humming in her ears buzzed so loudly that she barely heard him when he spoke the words "You're dead." If Violet wasn't awake then, she certainly was now. His gloved hands gripped her shoulders so tightly that they'd probably leave bruises.

Now she was moving away from the spot where her feet were stuck to. Marko was dragging her into the short dark led to the back door. She wanted to scream and kick, wanted to reach for the knife that was hidden in the lining of her jacket, she wanted to fight to get away from him, but her body didn't comply. Her arms and legs were limp as he threw her into the brick wall like a ragdoll. Violet could hardly breathe. Marko's eyes went from slightly orange to hellfire red. Murderous vengeance glared at Violet, and for the first time in her life she felt truly afraid.  _'This is it. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to fucking die.'_ The words chanted over and over in Violet's mind as Marko sprung at her.

* * *

The bloodlust in Marko was so strong he could hardly control himself. After just one bite, it would all be over. All his problems would go away. Everything would go back to the way it was. She didn't move, she didn't scream. Violet was hardly breathing. She was the perfect prey. But he couldn't just kill her right away. He wanted to be cruel with Violet. He wanted her to cry and beg. She was going to suffer until she was well beyond the breaking point. Revenge was going to be so sweet. Never before had anyone made Marko so infuriated. He wanted to demolish her since the moment she had fired that bullet into his chest, but Max's orders had been standing in his way. There was no stopping him this time. Max couldn't protect Violet now. A sadistic smirk spread across Marko's face as he leaned into Violet's neck and inhaled her scent. Fear was clearly evident, along with whiskey and cigarette smoke, but there was a particular smell that Marko found intriguing. It was faint, which forced him to breathe in deeper. The scent was both woodsy and exotic, reminding him of a far away land. He struggled to place a name with it, yet it on the tip of his tongue.

"Your scent is intoxicating," Marko sighed.

Violet flinched at the tone of his voice. She squirmed against the brick wall to move away from him, but Marko held her in place. The fangs in his mouth unleashed themselves. He snapped his teeth at Violet's throat, chuckling when a yelp escaped her lips.

Marko moved to look her in the face."It's a shame that I have to kill you like this, you know. You should at least put up a fight."

Violet turned her head away. She couldn't bear to look at his face. The nightmares played in her mind as if they were mocking her. Only none of them compared to this. In her nightmares she could always wake up and shove them away. The reality was setting now that death was staring her in the face. There was no escaping it this time.

Marko pushed her to the ground ruthlessly. He towered over her trembling form. "Turns out you're just like all the others. You're pathetic."

As soon as those words came out of his mouth, the petrified state of Violet's body vanished. Her arms and legs lifted from the ground into a powerful stance. Energy pulsed through her like an electric current. Something came over her that she had no control of.  _'What the hell is happening to me?'_ That thought quickly died and all she could see was red. Instantly her movements turned animalistic and her hand grabbed Marko's throat.

"Don't you dare touch me" Violet hissed in a voice barely recognizable as her own.

Marko writhed in pain as a violent force took over him. The ringing in his ears became deafening. His head throbbed in excruciating agony. The touch of Violet's hand burned, like her skin was made of fire. Marko groaned as pain overcame his body and forced him to kneel. Images flashed before his eyes. Some were of his past life, some of the dreams. How was she doing this? No human could possibly have this kind of power. Violet's eyes glowed eerily bright. Was she human? Finally Marko found the strength to pry her hand away. Violet gasped at the sudden release. Her body slumped to the floor and felt weak. She gripped the hand that was attached to Marko's throat. A light numbing went through her like she was shocked by an electrical outlet. The red began to fade away from Violet's vision and she could now see that was on the ground. As her vision cleared, she looked from her hand up to Marko and to her hand again.

"What the fuck just happened?" she asked in a confused tone. Marko stared at her incredulously.

"I should be asking you the same question" he said as he used the opposite wall to help him up. Marko stood there for a moment with his eyes closed gasping for breath that his immortal body didn't need.

His face was no longer morphed and his body didn't burn, but he was still weak from the pain. Now he knew why Max wanted to keep her alive. With a power like that, the damage Violet could inflict on someone would possibly be fatal. The question was did she know it herself?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
> 
> -ShadowInTheDusk


	11. Chapter 11

Confusion clouded Violet's thoughts as she watched Marko lean against the opposite brick wall. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. Earlier that evening she could have cared less about Marko. He and the Lost Boys didn't scare her. Now she felt like an overwhelmed wreck. This was not something that Violet could just shove to the back of her mind and ignore anymore. What happened between her and Marko was something right out of a horror film. Violet had no idea what came over her when she lunged at Marko's throat. It was if something took over her body and refused to let her have control of her actions. Whatever she did to Marko had never happened to her before. _Never._ Her eyes trailed down to look at her hand. It still looked the same, but the knowledge that she caused such pain of what she had done to Marko with that hand alone made her nauseous.

_'Am I possessed?'_

Everything that she thought she knew had lost its ground and morphed into a sick fairytale. All she wanted to do was curl up on the floor and die. Violet knew that Marko would have been more than glad to help her in that responsibility. He would have killed her and she would no longer be a part of this monstrosity. He would've tortured her until she was begging him to kill her, but the hollow feeling in Violet's core was so much worse than anything Marko could have done. Being left alive in order to deal with all the confusion and hatred was definitely worse than death. All the hatred she had for Marko turned itself against her. _'I am a monster'_ , she thought, _'I should have died. Marko should've been able to kill me. Instead a monster reared its ugly head from the depths of God knows where and would've killed him if he already wasn't dead. '_

* * *

Marko looked at Violet as he caught those words burning in her mind. His eyes changed back to their normal color and were now calm. The hatred drifted away from him as he understood how she felt. He remembered the similar feeling he got the night David and Dwayne showed him what they truly were and what he was to become. At least Marko knew. But just because Marko understood didn't mean he was going to pity her. He knew Violet wouldn't want his pity either. He could sense the anger and delirium building up in her. Right now she was as dangerous as a hurt animal. He was going to have to choose his words carefully for the time being.

A long silence passed between the pair as they stood across from each other. Violet couldn't really think of anything to say to Marko. Bits and pieces of conversation floated in her mind, but her emotions kept getting the better of her. Anger and frustration raged through Violet as she tried to collect herself. _'_ _What the fuck am I supposed to say? Sorry that you and I ever met. Oh, and I apologize for almost killing you, even though you are a sick, sadistic bastard who was going to kill me in the first place. He can rot in hell for all I care and stay the fuck away from me.'_ Violet kept her eyes to the ground as she felt them well up with frustrated tears. _'Don't you cry, Violet'_ , she told herself, _'Don't you DARE fucking cry in front of him. Don't let him have to satisfactory of knowing that he got to you.'_ Debating on the consequences of not saying anything, she finally found the will to speak.

"So what happens now?" she asked, her voice all raspy from the pent up anger. Marko didn't know how to answer that. Max and David were going to want answers about what happened tonight. He wanted them too, and Violet was more than anyone. But she wasn't going to get them tonight. There was no chance in hell he was going to take Violet with him in the state she was in.

"Nothing", Marko said calmly. "Just go home."

* * *

 

Hot tears spilled down Violet's cheeks, deteriorating the façade of stone that had previously been her one and only savior. _'How dare he,'_ She fumed. _'How dare he tell me to go home and act like nothing_ _happened.'_

Her emotions went overboard as words flowed out of her mouth. "Go home? Is that all you have to fucking say?!" she screamed, "Don't you understand?! Home isn't a safe place for me anymore! Not anywhere on this whole fucking planet is! Even if I go home you'll be in my head! Everything is just wrong. I need answers, Marko. Not a damn thing makes sense, and don't you dare tell me that it's going to be okay and we'll figure it all out because this is not okay, Marko. Do you hear me? You're not even supposed to exist! And I, well I must be fucking delusional because whatever just happened makes me a sick, twisted monster. I don't know what to believe anymore." Violet's voice cracked and a sob erupted from her throat. She wanted everything to go back to the way it was before. No meeting the Lost Boys, no vampires. No finding out that her nightmares were shared with someone she despised. After all, she wouldn't be in this mess if they had never met.

Once again Marko's gloved hands gripped Violet's shoulders and pushed her against the wall, this time determined to make her regain self control.

"Get a hold of yourself!" he hissed. "You think this is another nightmare?! Let me tell ya somethin' right now Violet, this is not a delusion. This is _real._ None of this shit makes sense and it won't until we do figure it out, but until then you need pull yourself together. You won't see or hear from any of us until you do, you got that? Because if you think this is bad now, you won't even begin to comprehend whatever comes up next."

Furiously Violet's hands rubbed her eyes trying to keep the tears away, but to no avail. It just wasn't right. She deserved answers, and he was going to keep them from her?

"You're sick", she growled.

Her mind tried to think of something else. Anything to keep from crying. Anything to make the watering of her eyes stop. Then she thought about Friday. Friday said she would come looking for her if she wasn't back from the bathroom soon. She couldn't get involved, especially now. Violet knew if she saw her like this that Friday would jump to the worst conclusion, appalled by the sight of her crying hysterically while being forced against a wall by a stranger . She didn't want to imagine what her friend would do to Marko, let alone have Marko hurt her. ' _Come on Violet, calm_ _down. Do it for Friday._ ' She thought _. 'She needs to stay out of this._ '

The sobs reluctantly ceased and Violet swallowed hard as her eyes stared into Marko's. "You can let go of me now" she said slowly, shaking Marko off as she collected herself.

Her hands wiped her eyes once more and she took a deep breath as the tears stopped. Briefly Violet gave herself a once over to make sure nothing looked out of place. The instant calm she now had bewildered Marko. He tried to read her thoughts, but her mind was blocked. A light force had told him to back off for the time being. However, he could sense the aura she was giving off. Violet's had a strange hollowly sadness, something that he didn't quite understand.

As she walked towards the light of bar, Marko felt a wave of emotion wash over him. He almost felt guilty, like he should apologize to her. "Violet wait- ", he began to say. The look on her face when she turned her head stopped him in his tracks.

"Don't Marko", she answered coldly. He stood there in silence at the sound of her voice. The gleam of her eyes flashed. It was her eyes that betrayed the iciness of her tone. He saw a small glimpse of sorrow in them, pleading him to leave her alone. "Just don't." Violet said again, a bit more softly.

She turned to the light once more, ready to make her way back through the crowd. Gradually Marko moved towards the back door, not daring to take his eyes off of her. Violet could feel Marko's stare burning into her back. Her jaw clenched tightly as she stepped onto the main floor.

Marko watched as she disappeared into the crowd. He lingered at the door for a moment, a grim expression upon his face. Quickly, he straightened his shoulders and bolted out the door right into the alley.

' _Don't even think about going after her to apologize',_ He told himself as he shot down the pier and hopped onto his bike. The engine revved wildly as Marko rode off of the boardwalk. He raced against the shoreline furiously. His knuckles tightened around the throttle while the wind struck him in the face. The bike sped further away and into the woods. _'Never apologize. Never apologize for revenge.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
> 
> -ShadowInTheDusk


	12. Chapter 12

Paul lit two cigarettes, filling the air with smoke over the bar. He took one from his mouth and placed inbetween Friday's slender fingers. She smiled up at him as she brought it up to her lips, taking a deep drag and exhaling the smoke into the air. "Thank you", she said politely.

She crossed her legs and rested her back against the bar. An uncontrollable smile spread across Paul's face. He had come over to Friday with every intention of killing her. Now he wasn't sure if he wanted to. Friday had such a bewitching presence; the sparkle in her eyes, the refreshing glow of a bare face, the mannerisms and words she used when she spoke. Everything about her drew Paul in. Wasn't he supposed to be the alluring one?

He debated on whether leading her away from bar was something he actually was going to follow through with. She didn't seem like the kind to just up and leave with a stranger. Besides, Friday had mentioned that she was here with one of her friends. Apparently she was off in the bathroom because she was feeling sick _. 'Just another chick who can't handle her liquor. Go figure.'_   The animalistic instinct of his hunger told him to snap out of it. Feeding always came first. Over money, over alcohol, over pot, even over sex and girls. The only thing that kept Paul from turning into a rogue psychopath was the boys. Pack was always above feeding. Always. If his brothers were here they'd tell him to get on with it and ignore the attraction. Still, Paul was wary about what he was going to do.

 _'Her friend is around here somewhere. Why not kill two birds with one stone?'_   his hunger coyly suggested. If he could get them to leave together maybe he'd have a chance. "I hate to make you worry babe, but your friend's been in the bathroom an awful long time."

"How long has it been since you walked over here? And don't call me babe." she scolded.

"About twenty minutes or so", said Paul casually.

Friday quickly leaped off the stool, eyes wide with alarm. "Oh my God, Violet! I told her if she wasn't back in ten minutes I'd come and find her!"

Before Paul can say another word Friday rushed into the noisy crowd. _'Motherfucking hell.'_ This was definitely not a coincidence. Paul had met hundreds of girls in the past fifteen years of being immortal, and there was only one he knew with that name. Friday was Violet's friend. Violet's _friend._ Which meant that Violet was somewhere in the building. _'SHIT!'_ He needed to get himself out of there fast. Then Paul sensed an abrupt surge of resentment close by. He recognized the aura immediately: _'Marko.'_ As the aura grew fainter, Paul panicked. He threw an apologetic look to Friday in the distance and zipped out the front door. She could wait another night. Right now his brother needed him.

* * *

The mass of people seemed to split apart with ease as Violet walked across the crowded room. Maybe it was the expression on her face that made everyone move out her way. Maybe she was just imagining it. Whatever the real reason was, Violet didn't care. All she wanted to do was get the hell out there.

_'_ _I'm so tired.'_

The muscles in her legs were going numb. Violet stopped. The music began to fade and her ears were ringing again. Dazed, she didn't notice that someone was screaming her name. It wasn't until after she felt a sharp smack that Violet even realized Friday was standing in front of her.

"What the fuck Friday!?" she bellowed holding her right cheek.

"Violet I'm sorry for fuck's sake you wouldn't move! Didn't you hear me screaming?" Friday babbled.

Violet's hand fell to her side. How long was she standing there for? "No…I guess I didn't."

Concerned, Friday placed her fingers against Violet's forehead. She flinched at the iciness of her skin and grabbed her hand instead. "Honey I was standing right in front of you. How did you not hear me?"

"I...I dunno. Can we go home? I need to go home."

Not wanting to push the subject any longer, Friday gently led her out the front door. "I'm going to call a cab. I don't think either of us is in any condition for your bike."

Her body shivered as the chilly air hit her. She despised the cold and wanted to cross her arms, but Friday gripped Violet's hand tighter to ignore the impulse. They walked down the block where Friday discovered a payphone under the streetlight. She placed the receiver in the crook of her shoulder and dug for the change in the pocket with her free hand. _'Oh Violet, What sort of trouble have you been getting into?'_   Briefly she spoke with the operator and was redirected to a local taxi service.

* * *

 

Ten minutes later a beat up yellow taxi pulled up. As the pair stepped in, Friday gave the crossroads to the driver. She glanced at Violet, who was staring at the moon. Curious, Friday looked up as well. A waxing crescent was out tonight. The sign of new beginnings, perhaps a new venture in time to come. As the cab drove to the apartment building, Friday hoped that her time with Violet wouldn't end up in anything dangerous. Something was definitely wrong with her, no question about it. Regardless of what was to happen Friday would help her through it. She was her family, her soul sister. They always figured their problems together no matter how bad things were. When they arrived to the building she helped Violet up the stairs to the apartment and into the bathroom.

"Let's get you ready for bed."

In silence, she sat her on the edge of the tub and unlaced her boots. Cautiously she watched as Violet slipped them off along with her jacket and stood over the sink. Friday waited while Violet washed her face. Drying her face with a towel, they moved to her bedroom. She grabbed the pajamas from Violet's bed and handed them to her. Slowly Violet changed into them and lay on her bed.

"There. Much better, isn't it?" Friday said with a motherly smile. Violet 's head nodded as her eyes fluttered shut. "Goodnight Violet."

A hand grabbed Friday's wrist when she turned to leave the room. "Stay with me please." The desperation in Violet's voice broke her heart a little. Quickly she regained her composure and smiled at Violet again. "Sure thing, doll."

Crawling into the bed, Friday flipped off the switch of the lamp on the nightstand. As she lay beside Violet, her fingers ran through the messy black hair on her friend's head. _'Sweet dreams little sister.'_


	13. Chapter 13

Dark waves crashed violently against Hudson's Bluff as Marko dumped three bodies over the cliff's edge. An arrogant smirk was on his mouth. _'Pathetic mortals didn't know what hit them.'_ Earlier Marko came across a group of young kids lying near the cliff watching the stars. He gave them quite a startle when he asked if he could join them, more particularly to take a hit off of the joint they were passing around. He sat with them for a while, asking what they were doing out so late. The two boys were brothers on the run from a so-called father who didn't give a damn about anything except booze. The girl just needed to get out for a while. Too bad for them they ran into Marko. He terrorized them to the cliff's edge and slaughtered them, leaving them as unrecognizable corpses. Every ounce of rage in his body was unleashed, showing absolutely no mercy. This is how it should have turned out; how he should have killed Violet tonight. Somehow she was able to stop him. A force protected her, turning her as powerful as he and the rest of the pack was. She brought him to his knees with a mere touch of her hand. How did she not know about it before? Surely there was some indication brought up to her in her past. Marko's thoughts were interrupted due the sound of rumbling motor.

"Marko!" a familiar voice yelled over the wind. He turned around to see Paul running towards him.

"Shit, look at you man. I've been looking everywhere for you! What happened to you back at the bar?" Paul frantically blurted, waving his hands in the air.

"Violet. She was there," he stated evenly.

" I know she was. That chick I was talking to was there with her. Violet was in the bathroom sick. Small world isn't it? Shit man you didn't kill her did you? I know there are a lot of murder cases around here but the last thing we need is a kill in a public place. Especially when there are a ton of possible witnesses. Jeez Marko please tell me you didn't kill her!"

"I couldn't do it."

"Thank Hell for you having self control! You can't just scare me like that Marko. A slip up from any of us would definitely get back to Max and then we'd all be done for."

"No I mean I physically couldn't Paul! Something weird happened to her and she fucking stopped me!" Marko roared.

Paul grabbed Marko's arm trying to get a good look at his eyes. They were bright yellow with rage. "How?"

He ripped away from his grip. "I don't fucking know, Paul! She just did! She _morphed_ , but it was into something I haven't seen before. Her eyes were neon green. _Neon green_. She grabbed my throat and basically electrocuted me with the touch of her fucking hand! "

"Marko, chill out. You're not making any sense. Let's go back to the cave and figure this out."

"I don't want to figure it out! I want to kill her for what she did!"

Paul struggled to cover a sigh. He needed to get Marko out of here before he did anything crazy. "But you're never gonna be able to do that if you don't know how she stopped you the first time, now will you? Come on, Marko. Let's go back to the cave, smoke a joint and talk about this with David. Maybe he'll know what's up. Sound good to you, bud?"

Marko stopped pacing the edge of the cliff and looked to Paul. _'Just figure it out. Once you do that you'll be able to kill her.'_ his mind rationalized. The angry yellow glow of his eyes disappeared. "Ok Paul." His brother smiled in response. "Let's go home."

* * *

_-Violet was standing in a bedroom different than the one in her apartment. Studying the room, it looked like it belonged to a young teenager. A small window in the left-hand corner was cracked open. The curtains moved when a slight breeze passed by. A strong scent of jasmine flowers filled the air._

_"Ma petite Lune! Ou est- tu?" (My little Lune! Where are you?) Violet shot out the small bedroom and into a dingy white hallway. "Mama." She now recognized where she was: the house she lived in before her mother died. Frantic, she looked through every door she saw. There was no sign of her._

_"Where are you Mama?" She called into the house._

_" I'm in the living room, ma cher!" a cheerful voice replied._ _Violet dashed out of the hallway and into the sunlit living room. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her mother's figure sitting on the sofa. A large knitted blanket was wrapped around her, mostly covering her thick navy blue cotton pants and a bright vermillion shirt. Violet stared at the dark shadows circling her mother's eyes, but disregarded them when a bright smile graced her lips. She patted the empty seat beside her. "Sit with me, Violet. I have something to show you."_

_Violet happily obliged the request and hopped into it. "What is it?"_

_Her mother winked. "Close your eyes." Violet's eyes closed. Her hand was gently opened and something was placed into it. She brushed her thumb over the object, feeling a smooth texture. "You can open them now."_

_A small pendant with a silver chain lay in her palm. The pendant was a pale blue stone, oval and framed in silver wire. "Mama it's beautiful."_

_The smile on her mother's face widened. "Do you know what kind of stone this is?" Violet shook her head._ _"It's an angelite stone._ _It protects you, helps you focus on peace in times of hardship. You'll be able to keep compassion and understanding in your heart when they are difficult to find. Remember when you wear this that I also will be in your heart. I'll be watching over you, ma cher, protecting you and guiding you through whatever is to come." Violet threw her arms around her and held tightly. Tears pricked her eyes as she remembered. 'This is it, this is the night mama died in her sleep.' A bony finger lifted her chin up and she was face to face with her mother._

_"Pourquoi pleures-tu, mon amour ?" she whispered. (Why are you crying, my love?)_

_"Ne me laisses pas, Mama." (Don't leave me, Mama.)_

_"Je ne te laisserai jamais,Violet." (I will never leave you, Violet.) She placed her hand on Violet's on heart. "Je serai toujours ici. Toujours." (I am always here. Always.) –_

* * *

A puzzled expression crossed Violet's face as the dream faded out. Coffee. All she could smell was coffee. The scent was so overbearing to the point where it nauseated her. She reached for her blanket to cover her nose, but it was snatched away. "Tsk tsk, little sister. It's time to rise and shine!" a harmonic voice sang.

A growl vibrated through Violet's throat. "Get that fucking coffee out of my face."

The scent disappeared and the mattress began to bounce. "Alas, Violet the Luneybug lives!"

Finally Violet opened her eyes to see Friday jumping at the end of the bed. "If you don't cut that out I'll trip you."

Friday plopped onto the bed and lay on Violet's legs. "So rude, little girl! When was the last time you've used those manners of yours?"

"Last time I checked the use of them wasn't particularly necessary, especially with the amount of obnoxious behavior you have right now." Ignoring Violet's previous comment, the cheery counterpart noticed that she was gripping something in her hand. "What do you got there, Luneybug?"

"What do you mean what do I got?" Friday nodded her head in the direction of Violet's right hand. "You're holding something."

Violet looked to her hand in surprise. She was holding something? Slowly, she opened it and stifled a gasp. In her palm was a pale blue stone, wrapped in wire and strung on a silver chain. "The angelite stone" she murmured. She squeezed it, completely dumbfounded. _'I'm not still dreaming am I?'_ Between moving from Michigan to Santa Carla Violet had lost the last gift her mother ever gave her. Atleast that's what she thought. What was it doing in here in her hand?

Friday slid up the bed to get a better look. "Isn't that the stone your mom gave you? I thought you lost it."

She brushed her fingers over it. "So did I. It made its way back to me." Friday stared at her friend in confusion. "What?"

Wildly Violet shook her head, realizing what she said didn't make sense. "I mean I guess didn't really lose it after all."

The look on Friday's face obviously meant she didn't believe her. "Right. Anyways, are you feeling any better?"

"A little."

"Good. Then it's time for you to get out of bed."

"What time is it?"

"A little past one in the afternoon. Which means you have approximately eight and a half hours to get dressed, feed us, and show me around Santa Carla before you go to work tonight."

A yawn escaped Violet's lips as she stretched her arms over her head. "Do I have to?"

Friday grabbed her shoulders and pushed her into the pillow. "Absolutely! Or else the eight and a half of the sixteen hours you are awake and spend with me will be a total waste!"

Aggravated, Violet grabbed the other pillow and swung it at Friday's head. "Ow!" "Thank you so much for the mathematical equation. Truly, it gave me a whole new perspective on the way I should be oriented. But if you want me to actually do all of this, I suggest you get off of me before I throw you off the bed."

"Fine" Friday huffed as she got up, "I'll leave you to get dressed. But if I come back here in a few minutes and you're not out of this bed, I'll drag you to the living room by your ankles!"

She ran out of the room before Violet could come up with a remark. _'Ugh Friday why do I even put up with your nonsense?'_   However Friday usually made good on her word when threatening to do such antics, so Violet decided to get out of the bed. Resting her feet on the hardwood floor, she glanced down at the stone. ' _Remember when you wear this that I also will be in your heart. I'll be watching over you, ma cher, protecting you and guiding you through whatever is to come.'_   Violet clasped the chain around her neck.

"Thank you, Mama."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
> 
> -ShadowInTheShadow


	14. Chapter 14

Deep inside the dark caves of the Lost Boys' hideout, Marko struggled to have a peaceful sleep. Naturally his body was in a weakened state due to the rising of the sun, forcing him to retreat with his brothers into the black tunnels of their home. However while his body rested, troublesome thoughts swarmed through Marko's mind like angry wasps, stinging the most unpleasant corners of his psyche. He wrestled with an uncommon range of emotions: confusion, guilt, anger, frustration. Guilt being the most difficult to comprehend. Why should he be the one to feel guilt when he wasn't the only one at fault? Violet irked him in the worst ways imaginable regardless if she was aware of doing so. This situation was driving him to be obsessive, and this particular obsession warped him. To feel powerless was not a part of his nature.

"Marko", Paul's growl broke his thoughts, "I know you're feeling shitty and all, but can you atleast think little quieter? I'm trying to sleep. Try to get some yourself, won't you? You definitely need it. "

Any other time Marko would tell him to fuck off, but he knew Paul didn't really mean it that way. Disturbing the sleep of a vampire was never a pretty sight. He was right though. If Marko didn't get enough rest before nightfall, their visit with Max would be more gruesome than it had to be. He just hoped that Max could give him the answers he was looking for.

* * *

If there was anything Violet despised about the daytime, it was the sun being in her eyes. Her choice of moving to California seemed ironic due to it being sunny almost every day, but considering she was a night person and slept most of the day for her job, it didn't bother her that much. Usually if she did go out during the day it was for quick errands, and she could handle those as long as she had her sunglasses with her. _'Where are those damn things anyway?'_ Currently she was standing in front of Lou's waiting on Friday to finish her conversation with some wackjob they ran into on the street. She dug into her messenger bag for her sunglasses, paying no attention to her friend's conversation.

"Are there any jobs around here?" Friday asked discreetly.

"Nothin' legal, but with that sweet little shape you've got you can probably get a job over at Juicy Lucy's a few blocks over" the wackjob said.

A sneer made its way across Friday's face. Obviously this Juicy Lucy's was some kind of strip joint. "I meant a decent job, but thanks for the input you incompetent fuck." She pushed past him and dragged Violet through the door of the diner.

"What was that about?" Violet asked, slightly startled by the aggressive gesture.

"Nothing, nothing at all", Her friend replied, though she heard her mutter something along the lines of "misogynistic prick."

They found an empty booth towards the back of the diner and sat. "Vi, are you sure you want to eat here? I mean it is where you work."

"Of course I am. Lou serves the best food on the boardwalk. And I'm not just saying that. I've worked in the other restaurants around here. You'd be surprised at what they call food."

Friday shuddered at the thought. "I don't think I want to imagine such a thing."

"Which is why I brought you here", smiled Violet as she slid her off-white oval framed sunglasses onto her nose. Shortly after a young waiter gave them menus and the pair quickly made their order. As he took the menus away, Friday gave Violet the look. She knew this look all too well; _'we're about to have a serious conversation, young lady.'_

"Nooooo", Violet whined childishly, "Really Friday? Do we have to do this right now?"

The blonde's hand reached over and a slender finger poked her in the nose. "Yes we do. Now spill woman!" "There's nothing to spill."

"Don't think you can slide past me, young lady. You know exactly what we need to talk about." A false laughter filled the air. "But there's nothing to talk about! Now can we please sit here and enjoy a nice lunch?"

"No, we cannot." "Why!?" The next thing she knew Friday was climbing over the table. "Because Violet Lune de Flores I know you", she said as she plopped into her friend's lap, "and I'm going to sit here until you tell me what has fucking with your brain lately." To the rest of the customers Friday's actions were quite a sight. Violet felt embarrassment wash over her from all the looks they were getting, but refused to give in. "I can do this all day you know. Eventually you're going to get tired of sitting on me and move."Friday scooted closer, removed Violet's sunglasses, and glared. "Try me."

* * *

For a while the two women sat there staring icily at each other, receiving at odd look from the waiter as he brought their food. He left it on the table without a word, hoping it would break the tension. Yet neither would budge. Slowly he walked away and proceeded to ignore them. _'Come on, Violet. Tell me what's on your mind,'_ thought Friday over and over, as if she could get the information out of her subliminally. Gradually she felt energy pass through her. It seemed that they were moving closer together not physically but mentally, like a hidden window had opened in her conscious with light shining through it. This newfound energy amazed Friday. She focused on the flow of it, not once breaking her gaze on Violet. Then there was a flicker of Violet running. Another of Violet screaming. Little spurts of her in violence and anxiety, fighting something dark. The monsters that plagued her dreams somehow found their way into reality and haunted her in the shadows. And yet, Violet was connected to one of them. They had a link that neither of them understood which planted a seed of resentment and a grudge that possibly could destroy them both. Friday's body jerked away from Violet, resulting in her falling onto the floor. _'Holy fuck!'_

Quickly Violet's hand reached out to help her up, the staring contest instantly forgotten. "Oh my God are you okay!?" she shrieked with concern. "I swear I didn't push you, Friday. You just jerked and fell over!"

"No, I know you didn't push me. I think it was a muscle spasm," the blonde replied as she took her hand. A small smile played on Violet's mouth while she giggled and pulled Friday to her feet. "I told you that you would get tired of sitting on me. Well, atleast your body did anyway."

"I guess it did, didn't it?" As she slid into the other side of the booth, Friday prayed to the Goddesses that Violet wasn't in any sort of danger. Despite being Wiccan this act was a rare occurrence and her intuition as a witch told her otherwise. _'It's not her future; it's just a possible path,'_ she reminded herself. She knew that the future was never certain. It depended on the person's choices and how they responded to their situation. It seemed that whatever Violet was fighting, whether in dreams or reality, she was not responding to them well at all.

Finally she decided to be serious and asked a question she unfortunately already knew the answer to. "You've been having nightmares again, haven't you?"

The smile on Violet's mouth vanished. She looked down, suddenly finding her french fries of great interest. "I haven't been sleeping well if that's what you mean," she admitted.

But Friday knew better: "Are they about dying?" she pressed softly. She remembered when they were younger Violet had nightmares of death after her mother passed away. Once Violet's grandparents asked her to stay the night at their house while they attended a party, too worried to leave Violet by herself. Friday would never forget when her young friend woke up in the middle of the night, screaming in a mixture of French and English for her mother to come back to her as tears streamed from her frightened eyes. From what she could piece together the nightmares usually involved a figure leading her mother away to a dark place, yet she always followed the figure and seemed to accept it like it was a part of her fate. Violet's dreams were now of her own death. She didn't have to say it aloud; her silence gave it away.

Determined to help, she tried to come up with solution. "Tell you what, Vi. When we're done with lunch, how about you and I go find the nearest occult shop? I think I know something that can help." Uncertainty made its way in Violet's expression. "How do you know if it will work?"

"You never know until you try, right?" the blonde suggested.

The uncertainty disappeared and was reluctantly replaced with a glimmer of reason. "Well, if you think it could help I don't see why we can't."

Friday smiled and took a bite out of her sandwich. "Excellent! Now eat up young lady!"

The rest of their time in the diner was spent in silence as they ate their lunch. One of Violet's hands fidgeted with the angelite stone and she felt a reassuring calm. Her mind was on the Marko and the rest of the boys. She didn't want to depend on them completely for answers if she could figure out some things for herself. Seeing how they were going to find an occult shop, they would most likely have resources about the supernatural, vampires in particular. _'There's no harm in trying...right?'_


	15. Chapter 15

Soon after they finished their meal, Violet and Friday set off onto the Santa Carla Boardwalk in high hopes of finding an occult shop. Some Friday's of positivity rubbed off on Violet, though she still felt uneasy about the task at hand. The supernatural was not something to mess with and unfortunately she had found that out the hard way. Certainly she didn't want to doubt her friend's beliefs or deny her help, but dread lingered in the pit of her stomach. Friday on the other hand was determined to find one even it if took all day. They walked around asking locals on the street, hoping they'd be of assistance. Unfortunately they were misunderstood and were redirected to many shops where they carried supplies for stage magicians. It seemed the afternoon flew by and before Friday knew it her watch read six in the evening.

"You would think with the number of strange persons around here they would know the difference between a magic store and an occult shop." She grumbled. They were now walking back to the main strip of the boardwalk. Well, walking was a bit of an overstatement. Friday's arms were crossed and she was stomping her black boots rather loudly on the worn wood, making the occasional bystander jump. Violet's mood was as equally foul. "This is taking way too long. I hate to be impatient but can't we do this tomorrow? At this rate we're never going to find one."

"Absolutely not. I said we were going to an occult shop and we shall find one, damnit! Come on Violet, think! Have you seen one around here before? Does anything even remotely resembling such a place come to mind?"

Their pace slowed and they leaned against the rails overlooking the beach. Violet shrugged. "I really couldn't tell ya, Friday. I mean look at where we are. This boardwalk is mainly for entertainment purposes. What if the place we end up at is totally bogus? I'm not trying to down your beliefs or anything, but I'm just saying. Santa Carla is crawling with wackjobs." The blonde huffed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Um, excuse me but I might be able to help", a soft voice spoke. Violet and Friday turned their heads to see a girl standing a few feet to the left of them. She looked about their age, with long black wavy hair and a light curvy figure. Her clothes weren't the usual attire of a local; in a knee length pencil skirt and a white button up blouse she was quite dressed up, and despite the pumps on her feet they could tell she was about five feet tall. In a way she reminded Violet of a porcelain doll. She bit her bottom lip and her honey brown eyes blinked, seeming nervous to talk to the two girls.

"I did not mean to eavesdrop", she said in an apologetic tone, "but if you are looking for an occult shop there is one over on Pacific Avenue across from the Clock Tower. There are lots of places claiming they sell magick, but this shop is honest."

A smile widened across Friday's face and the stranger nearly toppled over as the blonde threw her arms around her. "You are wonderful!"

Violet immediately rushed to steady them. "Friday be careful!" she scolded. "The poor girl is about to break her ankles!"

Quickly Friday let go and assisted her. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed straightening her victim's blouse.

"You'll have to excuse my friend's enthusiasm. You've made her a very happy person. Unfortunately she doesn't know how to control her energy while being so and will occasionally jump you with affection. I had a similar greeting the other day."

A blush spread on the woman's plump cheeks, showcasing a lovely smile. She now had her bearings and everything was back in place. "Oh no, that's okay. I am glad to have been of some help", she said with slight embarrassment.

"You are the most helpful person on this boardwalk, the only helpful one actually. You wouldn't believe the number of imbeciles we've ran into today", Friday explained. "I'm just happy you didn't fall."

"I am too, especially in these!" the stranger laughed, referring to her shoes. "I don't even know why I am wearing them. I hate the damn things." Violet noticed she had an eastern European accent, though she spoke English very properly and her pronunciation was soft compared to the ones that she heard before.

"Pardon me but what are your names? I would like to know who I had the pleasure of being 'jumped' by."

"Oh! We skipped introductions, didn't we? I'm Friday and this is Violet." "My name is Mia Malkovich. You both have such interesting names. You are sisters, yes?" "Not biologically speaking no. Violet and I are soul sisters."

They continued to exchange pleasantries and Violet felt pride swell in her heart at the mention of being a soul sister. Being an only child had it faults and she often felt lonely when she was young, especially since she didn't make friends easily. It wasn't until early high school that she had met Friday. She truly valued their friendship and gradually become more sociable over the years. Thank God for that too, or else she wouldn't been able to put up with all of her coworkers. Speaking of which: "Shit! I have to go to work soon!" she gasped.

The conversation stopped and the two looked at her. "Oh God did I say that out loud!?"

"What? I thought you didn't have to be at work for another four hours" said Friday, taken aback by her friend's sudden outburst.

"I _don't_ have to be there for another four hours, but we've been out all day and if I don't get a quick nap I'll end up cranky because I haven't slept."

"Cranky is an understatement. You'll get downright bitchy" Friday snorted. Violet slapped her in the arm, signaling for her to shut up. "Anyway, we really must be going. Sorry about having to run off like this. I'm not trying to be rude, honest. It's just we've been out all day and I work the graveyard shift. You should stop by Lou's Diner later if you're not busy and have a coffee or something. I'll be there from 10 til 6 AM. Just ask for me and your meal will be on the house."

Mia's eyes widened. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly accept." She seemed genuinely shocked by Violet's offer. Obviously she wasn't used to mutual kindness. "Nonsensical, you must! You've helped us out in more than you can imagine." Friday insisted. "She's right you know", nodded Violet, "Think of it as our way of saying thank you. Friday will probably be hanging around too. She's got nothing better to do for the rest of the night."

Mia chewed her bottom lip, unsure if she should welcome the generosity of these strange women. She had only been in the city for a short period of time and encountered many deceiving individuals. Who knew if they were any different? Wanting to give them a chance, she put that thought aside. "I will only come on one condition."

"What's that?"

"That you must go home and sleep! I do not wish to see you cranky, especially if I'm part of the cause." The lovely smile graced her lips again and she winked at them, indicating good humor.

She received a Cheshire cat grin in return."Deal. It was lovely meeting you, Mia. Thank you so much for your help." Friday gave their new acquaintance a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks again. We'll catch you later."

The group waved their goodbyes and Mia watched as they took off in the opposite direction, completely bewildered by the whole experience. Perhaps Santa Carla wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

The shop was right across from the Clock Tower, just where Mia said it was. Friday beamed with satisfactory now that they were standing in front of their destination.

"Shall we?"

She reached for the brass handle of the door. A bell rung above as they stepped inside and there stood a man behind the register. He wore black slacks and a vest covered his deep burgundy shirt. His white scraggly hair and lined face implied he was well past his forties, though by no means did he act elderly.

"Welcome to Crystalline Waters, ladies." he greeted politely. With its variety candles, stones, books, and herbs, Crystalline Waters seemed relatively normal. Save for the runes and pentagram altar Violet spotted on one of the tables. This was definitely not what came to mind when Friday said "occult." A pleasant aroma filled the shop and Violet smiled as she recognized it.

"Sandalwood."

"Hm?" questioned Friday, distracted by the viles lining the wall.

"It smells like sandalwood in here."

"Oh. It does, doesn't it?" the blonde responded, and went back to examining the viles.

"You have a sharp sense of smell, young lady. Not many people can place sandalwood oil right away" said the man from behind the counter.

"It's one of my favorites. My mom used to burn it in the house all the time. She always said sandalwood uplifted the spirits."

The man's eyes twinkled. "Your mother was a wise woman. You must miss her very much. What a shame that she passed when she did."

"Yeah…"

Violet thanked him for his condolences and pretended to look at a deck of tarot cards with great interest. She tried to shake the feeling that he knew more about her than she would like, especially with the fact that she didn't mention her mother's death. A woman hurried from the back of the store with a look of annoyance aimed directly at the man behind the counter.

"Walter! What have I told you about scaring the customers?! I left you alone for five minutes and here you are traumatizing this poor girl."

"Now now my darling Irving, stop your worrying. We were only making polite conversation."

She flipped a long curtain of silver hair behind her shoulder, causing the bracelets on her aged wrists to jingle. "That's balderdash and you know it. Why don't you go see if the backroom needs to be swept? I think I saw a few dust bunnies scurrying about."

Walter shook his head and grabbed a broom from the corner. "Yes dear" he patronized, and disappeared into what was assumed to be the backroom. The annoyed expression quickly changed into sheepish smile. "Please ignore my husband. He has an eccentric way of communicating with people. Is the anything particular you are looking for today?"

Violet had to stop her eyebrows from raising right off her face. _'Eccentric is right.'_ "I'm just browsing, though my friend over there is looking for something. She's been hell-bent on finding this place all day."

"Ah well I'm glad you found us! My name is Irving and that ruffian in the back is Walter. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask." The elder woman strolled over towards the shelf Friday was peering at. Violet stifled a giggle at the sight of her friend standing on her tiptoes and shuffled across the store, admiring the collection of dreamcatchers hanging in from the ceiling. One towards the back corner caught her eye. Unlike the others it was much larger, with a few long feathers dangling from the strings. Woven in the middle was a canvas painting of a bird skull. The way it stared at Violet was a bit creepy even though the skull lacked eyes, yet it intrigued her. The depth of blues painted in the background made the skull seem so life like that she found herself reaching out to touch it. Marko's face popped into her mind and she pulled her hand back. Quickly she walked away from it, irritated that such a beautiful object reminded her of him. She then remembered the point of coming to Crystalline Waters and browsed the section of books _._

_'Why am I so forgetful? I'm going to get myself killed.'_

She saw a book about mythical creatures and skimmed through its pages, hoping the information inside was sufficient enough. "Vi I got what I came for. Are you ready to go?" Friday called over from the register. Violet nodded and joined her with the book tucked under her arm. She noticed that Friday had two velvet pouches on the counter top and was about to ask what was in them until Walter took his place behind the register and began totaling Friday's purchases.

As he moved to Violet's book, a satisfied grin appeared on his mouth."This book will be very helpful to you, miss. However be wise about what you do with the information that you seek."

"I'm not going to do anything stupid" she defended. He made Violet feel paranoid and she didn't like it one bit.

Walter slid the book into a paper bag and chuckled. "I'm not accusing you, dear. You know you mustn't be so hard all the time, especially on those you are at odds with. Things might turn out better if you choose to be more understanding. That'll be fifteen dollars." She handed him the money and practically sprang away with the bag. Friday followed her, not seeing her friend's angry expression. They bid the couple goodnight and stepped out the door. As soon as they were out of sight Irving reached over the counter and slapped Walter on the arm.

"Now why did you go and do that? You've frightened her away!"

Walter's eyes sparkled and he smirked at his wife. "Don't you worry, my pet. She's a special one, that girl. Stubborn but very special indeed. She'll be back."


	16. Chapter 16

Riding back to the apartment building was quiet. The lack of conversation was not unusual seeing how Violet rarely talked whenever she was riding her motorcycle. However walking the three flights of stairs to the apartment with her being equally silent was, well at least to Friday. It wasn't until Violet unlocked the door and disappeared into her room that Friday could tell she was aggravated. She sat the couch and set her purchase from Crystalline Waters on the coffee table, knowing that she was about to hear what was bothering her grouchy companion in a matter of seconds. "3…2…1…" Friday counted whimsically as she pulled the items out of the bag. A loud interjection of discontent came from the bedroom. "Here we go."

The brunette trudged out and stood behind the couch in her pajamas. "Next time you need to go to Crystalline Waters for something you're going alone."

Paying no attention to Violet's tone, the blonde didn't bother to turn around and continued laying her belongings on the table. "Oh? And why is that?"

"That old man behind the counter was so rude!"

"Really now? What did he say to you that made him such?"

"He called me hardheaded. Can you believe that!?" Friday looked over her shoulder with an amused smile. "Well I'd definitely be lying if I said I didn't."

She couldn't help but laugh at Violet's jaw dropping, which resulted in a swat at her shoulder. "You're horrendous." She shook her head and went back to organizing. "Besides he didn't use the word hardheaded."

"What do you mean he didn't!? You were there!"

"What he said was that you shouldn't be so hard all the time, and by that he meant that you're stubborn. He isn't wrong either. I mean be honest with yourself, Violet. Can you really deny that you're stubborn?"

Violet crossed her arms, reluctant to listen. "Anyway you shouldn't be so offended. He intended for you to take it as advice, and it was very wise of him to give it to you. Stubbornness is a good trait to have, but it can be foolhardy if you don't know how to use it. 

For you it's a positive aspect of your personality. You use it as a way to protect yourself by not letting people walk all over you, which I applaud you for. You're also clever enough to understand when you're in the wrong, but then again that's where the problem lies. You have such a difficult time admitting that you're wrong that sometimes it pushes the opportunity of resolving things away. You have to show more empathy."

"Ugh," the pajama clothed woman mumbled, not quite knowing how to respond. She climbed over the back of the couch and plopped down on the light blue cushion. "But being soft doesn't do me any good! It only gets me into trouble and I end up feeling too much."

"Being empathetic and being soft isn't necessarily the same thing, Vi. Having empathy doesn't make you weak. Think of it as being a diamond cutter."

"What the hell does cutting diamonds have to with empathy?" Violet scoffed.

"Diamonds are the toughest rocks on earth. In their raw form they're extremely rough around edges and the only way you can cut them is with another diamond. Can you imagine how much work goes into just cutting one of those in half? It's downright grueling. Not only do they go through the trouble of doing that but then they take the time to grind all these tiny little facets in it. 

The cutter slaves away and probably gets really frustrated with all the time it's taking to the point where they want to give diamond shows signs of improvement. So they continue to work at it. Eventually they finish the grinding and all the facets are complete.

Whatever light the facets reflect will make the diamond to sparkle with brilliance and clarity. Empathy works in a similar fashion. In order to help someone strive to be at their best, you have to feel what it's like to be in their shoes first. It takes someone like a diamond cutter to truly understand somebody else and guide them to that multifaceted stage because they know what it takes to get there."

"So in other words, you can have empathy and still be as tough?" "Exactly, but there needs to be a balance. Too much or too little can mess with you big time."

Violet rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing that she couldn't argue Friday's logic. "I guess you're right."

A hand ruffled her hair, causing her to protest. "I'm always right, silly," Friday stated matter- of- factly with a wink. "Now are you going to continue to be grumpy or are you going to help me?" She referred to the coffee table that was now covered in different herbs. They were separated into piles, varying in size. "What exactly is this mess?"

"Four ounces of dried lavender flowers, four ounces of dried sage, two ounces of ground orris root, four ounces of deer's tongue herb, two ounces of cedar shavings, four ounces of coltsfoot herb, four ounces of sweet fern, 2 ounces of violet, and muslin fabric. It looks like mess now, but it'll be a dream spell by the time I'm done with it."

Dread must have appeared on Violet's face because she now felt her back being rubbed. "Don't worry; it's not how you think. What I'm about to do is make you a dream pillow. I'm going the stitch the fabric into a pillow case, and I need you to do is put the herbs in it and sew it shut. Then you're going to put it underneath the pillow that you sleep on and leave it there. What it's supposed to do is keep away nightmares and bring prophetic dreams."

"That's it?" said Violet incredulously.

"That's all there is to it."

"Okay…..so no freaky deaky voodoo nonsense?" She expected special words or a weird ritual.

The blonde shook her head and chuckled. "Not even close. However the spell won't work if you don't believe it has the power to help change things. It has to mean something to you. It's not the gestures or the words that make magick effective, but the power and the will within us that these things help to evoke. Magick isn't supposed to be a replacement to facing and accepting your responsibilities. There has to be effort on your part with intentions to change your future. I know its a lot to ask, but do you think you can manage that?"

Violet felt wary about casting the spell, but she trusted her sister. She knew that Friday wouldn't involve her in anything that would potentially hurt her. How she wished she could say the same. The longer she was involved with the Lost Boys, the more dangerous everything would get, and Friday didn't deserve that kind of trouble. The thought of Marko crossed her mind. Regardless of their animosity, she wanted to solve the problem. The quicker the better too. If she could put aside their hatred for the sake of getting answers, perhaps he could as well. "I can sure as hell try."

* * *

Marko truly hated Max's apartment. The neon lights, the art, the ugly furniture, even the wine glass he was drinking out of. It screamed trying too hard and he couldn't stand it. Normally their visits would take place after midnight, but this time they couldn't wait. Though he didn't show anger, Marko could tell that Max was thoroughly upset with him. Most of the time when he was upset with them Max played the role of scolding father by giving them a slap on their wrist and sending them on their way. Of course that method never worked and the boys went about their usual ways of causing ruckus.

However this time was much more serious. He thought that causing trouble with Violet was going to land each and every one of them in the pit, especially since Marko went after her personally. But instead of disciplinary action, Max had asked him to do something rather peculiar. Something that the boys- _particularl_ y Marko, had a serious problem with: "I want you to become friends with Violet."

Marko's eyes shifted from Max to David, hoping he'd object. The grim expression on David's face told him that he wouldn't. "You're fucking kidding me right?" he snapped.

Max didn't move from his place at the window. "Don't use that tone with me, young man. You heard me."

"You're off your rocker, man. No deal."

"That was an order, not a request. I am your Sire. You disobeyed me, now must deal with the consequences."

"And spending time with Violet is supposed to make things better?" Max faced him, eyes flashing yellow. "If you are sharing dreams with her, you need find out why. If she is able to morph as we do, either she isn't who she says she is or she doesn't know yet. The only way to find out is to keep tabs on her."

"But she-" started Marko, immediately cut off by the booming "SILENCE" that roared from Max's chest. "I don't care who did what, I just want you to fix it."

From the moment he saw her, Max was certain that Violet was more than suitable to be a new addition to his family. She was the ideal fit to be his daughter, though a bit rough around the edges. Much like his boys. He wanted her teach them a lesson by beating them at their own game. However the situation became more complicated than he would've liked and bringing her into his coven did not seem like the best idea at the moment.

It intrigued him that Violet already supernatural abilities, even if she possibly didn't know the fine details. "If it makes you feel any better, I _will_ be looking into the matter. I would very much like to know what Miss Eaves is capable of."

"De Flores," corrected Dwayne from his side of the couch.

"Pardon?"

"Violet said her last name is De Flores. She's changing it to her mother's maiden name."

"She doesn't wish to be associated with her father I take it?"

"She nearly ripped my head off when I asked her about it. Girl's got daddy issues, dude." Paul added.

"I see" Max said passively. "Well, that'll be all for this evening. Off you go."

David stared at his Sire as the group made their way to the door. It was weird for Max to send them off so quickly. But he knew better to question him, atleast for now. They were treading on thin ice as is. He let his brothers step out in front of him, making him the last one out the door.

"David," Max called after him. The blonde stopped and looked to his leader. "Be a good lad and make sure Marko does as I say, won't you? I'll know if he doesn't." He tapped his temple, referring to their telepathic bond.

David gritted his teeth and nodded. "Yes Sire."

With that, the Lost Boys went into the night. Max walked back over to the window, pondering over what Dwayne said. _'Her mother's maiden name is De Flores…'_ De Flores. That name struck a chord with him. Where had he heard it before?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.
> 
> -ShadowInTheDusk


	17. Chapter 17 part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello darlings! Guess who! I've been rather busy and have had no computer the past few months, but I never stop thinking about this story. I'll try to update more, I promise.

_“You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain._  
 _Too much love drives a man insane._  
 _You broke my will, but what a thrill._  
 _Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!”_

Jerry Lee Lewis’ voice blasted through the diner’s jukebox. Violet sang along with him, shaking her hips behind the counter. When the song finished, she slapped a nickel on the counter in front of Friday and told her to play whatever her heart desired. She was feeling quite refreshed since she and Friday came home. Hell, that dream pillow might have actually worked. After a few hours of undisturbed sleep, Violet was almost excited to go to work. _‘Key word almost’_ , she thought as she called back an order to the kitchen. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was downright tense that the Lost Boys would decide to drop in on her shift. The idea terrified her, especially with Friday being around. She wanted to see them on her own terms. Maybe they wouldn’t come to the boardwalk tonight.  
  
“Like that would ever happen” she huffed with sarcasm. “What won’t ever happen?” Violet turned her head to see Friday sitting down on the stool. “Nothing, I was talking to myself” she responded. Friday shrugged and bobbed her head to the beat of Johnny Cash’s “One Piece at a Time.” Violet did the same and started to dance again. She wiped down the counter and made a funny face at Friday.  
  
It was nice for Friday to see Violet act like her usual self. Maybe the dream pillow worked for her. She hoped it would continue to do its work if it did. But something told her that the problem wouldn’t stop right away. No, whatever was really bothering Violet was definitely still hanging around, and it seemed like it was here to stay. The big question was what. Perhaps some investigating was to be in order. She decided to tuck the idea away and enjoy the night. After all, the evening was just getting started.

Mia walked quickly through the crowd on the boardwalk. Her high heeled boots clicked loudly. She prayed nobody would notice her, though that might be rather hard considering her weren’t exactly modest. She pulled her coat tighter as under the streetlights. Once she was towards the pier. Lou’s Diner wasn’t even a block away. Why did it feel like time had slowed down?  
  
 _‘Nerves’_ she thought. _‘You’re just nervous. After all, it’s not like work is too far. It wouldn’t hurt to pop in and say hi.’_  
  
Being a stripper at Juicy Lucy’s had it downfalls. Mia was always fearful she would be approached by the regulars outside of work. Too often the girls were offered money for their "services" outside the club. Though she hadn’t been yet, she knew it would happen sooner or later. Not like she was any better than the girls she worked with. She left Ukraine with the hopes of having a prosperous job and a new life in America. What did she get? A job making $3.35 an hour taking her clothes off to make sleazy drunk men sweat. Even still, she had her standards. Never bring work home. Don’t accept drinks. Don’t let anyone follow you. Keep your head down and don’t get noticed. She had no idea what came over her when she decided to approach Violet and Friday. They were a lot different from most of the people she spoke with in this town. _A lot different._ Hospitality wasn’t something she experienced in Santa Carla. Could she actually trust them? Finally she made it to the front of the diner. There was only one way to find out.

“Do you think she’ll actually show?” Friday asked, stirring her spoon in her coffee. “She will.” Violet replied while clearing a customer’s plate off the table. “How do you know?” The bell rang above the door. Smirking, Violet winked and nodded her head at the door. Friday turned around and saw Mia standing in the doorframe. “Told ya she would.”  
  
Mia blushed and took a seat next to Friday. She stared at the floor and chewed on her lip. Her appearance was a drastic change compared to the clothes she was wearing earlier. She looked like an entirely different person. The skirt was much shorter, her v-neck t-shirt was lowcut. She wore fishnet stockings with patent leather go-go boots, topped off with a leopard print jacket. Even though they just met earlier that day, Friday knew that this wasn’t Mia. She could tell that she was uncomfortable. Did she work at the strip joint that wackjob had suggested earlier? She wanted to ask, but bit her tongue about that subject.  
  
“Hello there, how are you?” she asked instead. Mia’s heavily lined eyes blinked and she smiled. “I am well, how are you?” she responded. “Just dandy. I’m glad you decided to come.” “So am I.” Violet added as she placed a menu on the counter in front of Mia. “Can I get you something to drink?” Mia looked a bit anxious. _‘It’s a restaurant, not a bar’_ she reminded herself. “Water, please.” “Alrighty.” Violet said with a smile. “Let me know when you’re ready to order.” She walked away to the kitchen to bring out orders for the others sitting at the counter. Mia gave a slight grin. Maybe she could trust them.

Dwayne had been strolling along the boardwalk for a while now, taking his time to walk to Lou’s Diner. He knew Violet would be there. The past few incidents indicated that she wasn’t the type to back down. Clearly she wasn’t a shut in. Sure there was the possibility of her asking for a schedule change from her boss, but Dwayne figured she was smarter than that. She would stay on their schedule so she didn’t have to worry about them while she slept. Not that she had to anyway. They wouldn’t do anything to harm her, not under Max’s orders considering the severity of the situation. It was decided that he would be the one to make contact with her. He, who had the least of qualms with Violet, was being sent to do what Marko should have done in the first place. He was too rash. He shouldn’t have attacked Violet in the bar. _‘Marko, you should have showed more self control.’_  
  
Still, for Marko being so young (Dwayne being almost 50 years his senior) and angry, Dwayne knew how hard self control could be. For weeks now he had been stalking a young woman about Violet’s age to and from Juicy Lucy’s. She was a dancer there. He had been inside a couple times, just out of curiosity. She had long dark hair and resembled a porcelain doll. Dwayne thought she was beautiful.  
  
It baffled him why she had worked at such a sleazy place. Her demeanor was sweet and shy, not the type to work in a strip club. But boy could that girl dance. He had no means to kill her. No cat and mouse game like David or Marko would play. Just simple curiosity. It disappointed him that he didn’t see her on the boardwalk tonight. Maybe she had the night off. He continued his way along the pier, brushing off his disappointment to adhere to the task at hand. As he got closer to the diner, he sensed Paul nearby. Probably on the prowl for some tail. He didn’t understand Paul’s need for action 24/7. He imagined that about 20 years ago Paul would be one of those swingers going to orgies. Dwayne shook his head and chuckled at the thought. People seemed to step out of his way on the sidewalk. He was now down the street from the diner. He slowed his pace as he reached the window and peered inside. To his surprise, there was Violet standing behind the counter with a smile on her face. She was actually quite pretty when she smiled. Currently she was refilling coffee and talking to two ladies sitting at the counter. One had short blonde hair that was pixie cut; the other had long wavy black hair that fell against a leopard jacket. He immediately recognized her as the woman from Juicy Lucy’s. Under any other circumstances, he might have went in and sat at the counter next to her. Unfortunately his pack came first. So that meant when he opened the door, he was to sit in the back where nobody would see him and ask for Violet.

The smile on Violet’s face dropped one she saw Dwayne walk through the door. He kept his gaze on her as he disappeared into the back of the dinner. She assumed he was the corner booth near the restrooms. _‘Shit.’_ Friday immediately noticed her friend’s discomfort. “Is everything alright?” she asked. Before Violet had the chance to answer, Alice was next to her, telling her that the gentleman at table 16 was asking for her. Friday saw a flash of panic in Violet’s eyes as she nodded and said sure. She handed the coffee pot to Alice and went through the small opening into the rest of the diner.  
  
Notepad in hand, she walked towards the back. Violet’s heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. Dwayne was facing her, his eyes directly upon her.  
  
 _‘Stay calm. I mean you no harm.’_  
  
Violet’s eyes widened, realizing that Dwayne’s voice was in her head. The notepad nearly fell out of her hand. _‘Act normal. I came to speak to you, but we can’t speak freely.’_  
  
 _‘What are you doing here?’_ she thought as she handed Dwayne a menu. He thanked her quietly. _‘I’m here to make peace with you.’_ Violet nearly scoffed. “Can I get anything to drink, _sir?_ ” she sneered.  
  
 _‘How the fuck are you supposed to make peace? Marko was the one who attacked me. Not you.’_ “I’ll have some coffee. Black, two sugars.” Dwayne said calmly while he scanned the menu. _‘Marko is in no condition to speak to you right now. I came on his behalf.’_ “Would you like to order or shall I give you a few minutes?” _‘Oh really? Well you tell Marko when he gets his shit together that he can speak to me then.’_  
  
“I’d like to order now, thank you.” Dwayne gritted. _‘Listen Violet, we need to make amends. We’re going to be seeing a lot of each other as long as you and Marko have this...connection. I know what happened at the bar. He shouldn’t have attacked you, and I’m sorry that he did. Violet I know you’re proud, but being stubborn isn’t going to get us anywhere.’_  
  
It took everything Violet had to keep her composure. _‘Fine.’_  
  
“I’ll have the deluxe cheeseburger with fries, rare. Also two pieces of tiramisu. One for me, and one for the woman at the counter wearing the leopard print jacket.” _‘You are to meet us at Hudson’s Bluff on Saturday. After sunset.’_  
  
“No.” Violet whispered. _‘If I am to meet you, I’m doing so on my terms. I want to meet in public. The Breakroom on Saturday at 9PM.’_  
  
 _‘Understood. Do not stand us up, Violet.’_ “I’ll be right back with your coffee.” Violet said stoically. She turned around and nearly bolted away.  
  
 _‘I pray that he doesn’t know Mia.’_  
  
Dwayne leaned back in his seat and lit a cigarette. Mia. What a pretty name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated!
> 
> xoxoxoxo
> 
> -ShadowInTheDusk


	18. Chapter 17 Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay, I'll admit it. I'm a horrible procrastinator. REALLY horrible procrastinator. However, for those of you who are still reading this, thank you. I'm still (slowly but surely) writing this, and I love you for supporting this story. I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Lost Boys, just the original characters and most of the plot of this story.

Violet walked through the double doors of the kitchen and let out a long sigh.

"Fuck."

A couple of the cooks on backline gave her an odd look. She glared at them and grabbed a coffee cup off of the shelves. Quickly she poured the hot liquid, having half a mind to spit in it. She thought against the idea due to this so called "peace" Dwayne declared on the Lost Boys' behalf. Sure, Violet wanted the peace thing to work too, but she definitely wasn't prepared to see Dwayne. It seemed that they couldn't give her a chance to tap into her Zen.

_'Motherfuckin' vampires'_ , she thought as she grabbed two pieces of tiramisu from the dessert refrigerator. She set them down on the metal countertop and inhaled a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. Why did it _have_ to be tonight? Did they really _have_ to send Dwayne? _'Show some empathy',_ Friday's words reminded her. _'Ugh.'_ Obviously Marko had to be in as bad of shape as she was if he couldn't deliver the news himself. Honestly, why would he have wanted to come anyway? If Violet were him, she wouldn't have. Her fingers played with her amulet.

_'Jesus fucking Christ.'_ She picked up the two plates, then Dwayne's coffee, and walked back to the counter.

Mia was surprised when Violet set down a plate of tiramisu in front of her on the counter. "My favorite!', Mia exclaimed. "How did you know?"

"Compliments of the gentleman sitting in the corner booth" Violet said as sweetly as she could manage. She almost wanted to cry. _'Please don't let any harm come to her',_ Violet prayed to an unknown deity. _'She's so sweet and kind. She doesn't deserve hurt.'_

Friday noticed the subtle pained expression on her sister's face. Who the _hell_ is this person? It wasn't like Violet to be so unnerved. Violet saw Friday's stare. She ignored it and turned her heel into the dining area. Friday frowned at her and turned her attention to Mia.

"So, how is it?", she asked referring to the dessert. A smile beamed across Mia's cheeks. "Delicious! Would you like some?" she offered. Though her rules were to not accept things from strangers, this was a plate of dessert that came straight from Violet's hand, not a drink from a stranger at the club. 

The blonde chuckled and shook her head. "No thanks, I'm a vegan."

 "A vegan? What is a vegan?"

 Friday leaned onto the counter. "Well, it's like a vegetarian, but I don't eat or use any animal bi-products. Stuff like dairy, eggs, and leather, you know?"

Mia looked puzzled. "I am confused. You are wearing a leather jacket, are you not?"

Friday shook her head again. "It's actually vinyl. You'd be amazed at how many fabrics are synthetic  and cruelty-free."

The brunette dabbed her red lips with a napkin and laughed. "You really do learn something new every day."

* * *

 

Dwayne raised his eyebrows as Violet set the coffee and cake on the booth's table without a word. "Something wrong?" Violet scowled and sat in the booth across from him."Look, I know we're trying out this "peace treaty" as of two seconds ago, but I have some ground rules."

Dwayne straightened up in his seat. "Certainly" he said pleasantly.

 "One: Do _not_ show up at my place or my job without calling. This whole appearing and disappearing shit is making my head spin. I haven't had time to get myself together when you guys are showing up every time I turn around."  

Dwayne nodded, not wanting to push his luck by mentioning she went looking for them twice already. "Noted. How can we reach you?" 

Violet quickly scribbled on her notepad and ripped the sheet of paper. She held it out to him. "That's my house number. If I don't pick up, the number for Lou's is at the top." Dwayne took the paper and tucked it into the inside pocket of his jacket. "Two", Violet continued with all seriousness. "Stay away from my friends. That means my coworkers, my boss, and anyone I socialize with on a regular basis. Especially the two ladies at the counter; Friday and Mia. They're off limits."

A grin crept along Dwayne's lips. "Friday?"

Violet rolled her eyes at him. "Her parents are ex-hippies, don't get smart."

 He held back a laugh. "Ex-hippies? What are they now?"

"Baptists." Violet said straight faced. The grin turned into a toothy smile. She gave him a stern look. "Don't get smart." She stood up from her seat. "Now do you understand my rules?"

"Crystal clear." Dwayne replied, toothy grin still in place. Violet resisted the urge to smile and walked back to the counter. She could her Dwayne's laughter behind her. She rolled her eyes, smiling at her two friends sitting their stools.

Friday gave her a look. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just resolving quarrels one day at a time", sighed Violet.

"Old boyfriend?" Mia asked curiously.

Violet burst into a fit of laughter. "No, never. Just acquaintances."

"Ah good. I myself am married, but did not want to offend your acquaintance by not accepting this lovely tiramisu. Nor did I want to offend you of course."

Violet waved her off. "Don't worry about it. Even if he was an old boyfriend, what he does with his spare time isn't really my business anyway. Now, have you had a chance to check out the menu yet?"

Mia nodded and ordered an avocado sandwich with fries. With the diner having a quiet night, the three women were able to continue getting to know each other. Alice brought Dwayne his food, not wanting to bother Violet. It had been a while since anyone saw her genuinely smile. This was good for her, Alice thought. Really good.

* * *

 

The time was now 11:30. Mia made her goodbyes as it was time for her to be off to work. She was thrilled that she had a wonderful time getting to know Violet and Friday. Definitely comfortable with calling them friends. Friday even offered to walk with her to the club. Mia much obliged her, delighted to further enjoy her new friend's company. They left the diner, waving goodbye to Violet behind the counter. As they walked through the crowd, Friday asked her more questions, wanting to get to know her better.

"So you're from Germany?" she said, knowing fully well (yet unbeknownst to Mia) that she actually wasn't. 

"Yes, but I am an American citizen. My husband is an American. He and I have lived in Santa Carla for a few months now."

The truth was Mia was from Ukraine and bought a safe passage to U.S. with fake documentation. The once lively marriage with her husband was now cold and though he may have loved her once, she no longer recognized the man she vowed to spend the rest of her life with. Nevertheless, Mia refused to give up on him. She hated lying to her new friend but did not want to risk going to jail or being sent back to the USSR.

"Are you married?" Mia asked, changing the subject.

Friday laughed. "Me? Fuck no. Soooo not ready for that kind of commitment. I'm all about free love. I do respect marriage though."

Mia felt ashamed. Here Friday was basically applauding her marriage and she felt like it was a sham. As they neared the club, the pair was catching more looks, especially Mia. Friday gave an icy glare to the onlookers. Though she didn't agree with the industry Mia worked in, she'd be damned if others stared at her friend in distaste. She knew better than to judge, they should too.

Juicy Lucy's was a brick hole in the wall painted bright turquoise. The neon sign matched the building, with a smaller flashing Girls! Girls! Girls! in vermillion letters. There was a redheaded pinup painted on the front of the building. On the side of the building, a middle aged muscular bouncer in all black stood by a door that read Employees Only. He smiled at Mia as they walked up to him.

"Hi Mia", he said in a deep voice.

"Hi Jimmy, how are you?" Mia replied politely. She was rather fond of Jimmy. He was really sweet to her and the rest of the girls, always treating them with the upmost respect.

"I'm good, thanks. Is your friend comin' in too?", he said motioning to Friday.

"Oh no, I'm just walking with her. Thought it'd be nice to check out the boardwalk" said Friday.

"Well you be safe now. Sometimes this place ain't what it seems", the kind man warned.

"I will." She hugged Mia and pecked her on the cheek. "Have a good night, be safe, yeah?"

Mia thanked her and waved before stepping through the door that Jimmy opened for her. Friday turned and walked back into the crowd. She looked up in awe at the lights of the ferris wheel and wild looking roller coasters not too far ahead. Santa Carla was beautiful for a tourist town. Every ride and building was so colorful, including Lou's Diner, which was decked out in a mint green that typically only worked for 50's cars. She was so distracted with the sights that she walked right into someone, nearly toppling over in the process but resulted in her glasses falling off of her face.

"Jeez! I'm so sorry! I really should be paying attention to where I'm going."

"Nah, it's cool. No harm done" a familiar voice responded.

The blurry figure picked up her glasses and slid them back onto her face. "There! Much better", they said.

Friday's eyes focused then widened in realization of who she ran into. Tonight he was clad in tight gray jeans, a black mesh shirt, and a black tuxedo jacket with long tails. His hair was as wild as a lion's mane and his blue eyes twinkled brightly. "You're Paul, right?"

He smiled at the thought that she remembered him. "That's me" he chuckled. "You're Friday, right?", he teased lightly, "How ya doin' girl?"

"Fine, I guess. Uh, sorry about that" she stammered, unsure if she was apologizing for bumping into him or checking him out. Heat rose to her cheeks and she hoped he didn't see her blushing.

"Like I said, no worries. What's up?"

"Checking out the boardwalk. This place is beautiful. You?"

"Hanging around. Wanna join me?", Paul said with a coy smile.

Friday had an inner struggle. Sure she wanted to, but the only other time she conversed with him was in a bar. Intoxicated. He could be a serial killer or psycho path. Violet would be wondering where she was anyway. "As much as I would love to, no thanks" she politely declined.

"Ya sure? I could help you check out all the sights. In fact, I'll show you the best sight of them all" he flirted.

Friday felt offended. Did he seriously think he was going to get into her pants just like that? No way. "Some other time" she said briskly. "See ya, Paul."

Paul was thrown aback as she pushed passed him. "See ya", he said. He was confused. Usually girls were throwing themselves at him. Was it something he said? He found himself reaching for Friday's arm.

"Hey", he said. Friday gave him a sharp look. "I didn't mean it like that. I just want to hang. You're a cool girl. If you change your mind, I'll be on the carousel."

"Sure", she scoffed. "See ya later."

* * *

 

Unwillingly, Friday walked through the door of Lou's Diner and took her place back at the counter. Violet came of the kitchen with a fresh pot of coffee in one hand and a burger in the other. She was confused by Friday's presence. "Back so soon?"

Friday let out a sigh. "Dude, I hate tools. They think they can just magically get in your pants with a few words."

"What happened? Same weirdo from earlier today?", asked Violet after setting down the plate in front of what looked to be a homeless kid. She smiled at her before walking returning to Friday.

"No, I ran into some guy I met the bar last night. Like, _literally_ ran into him, and he uses some stupid line on me about showing me the sights. I quote: 'In fact, I'll show you the best sight of them all.' I told him no of course."

Violet laughed. "What's this 'knight in shining armor's' name?"

Friday picked at her nails nonchalantly. "Paul."

Violet didn't want to pay any mind to it. She hoped it wasn't the same Paul, but with her luck lately? "Tall, blonde, looks like Twisted Sister?"

"Actually yeah."

"You best stay away from him. That guy is bad company. He probably flirts with anything that moves."

That was all Violet could say without giving away the Lost Boys' secret. If she told Friday they jumped her, she knew her sister would go looking for trouble. Aside from being a vampire, Paul seemed like an alright guy. The part about flirting however was probably true anyway.

Friday cleared her throat and rested her head on the counter. "That's a real shame because he looked like _great_ company."

She started to wonder about how great of "company" he could give her. She knew that she shouldn't but she thought of it some more. She truly was the child that touched the stove after being told it was hot and the urge to check Paul out was overruling Violet's warning. By no means was Friday a prude, nor was she sleazy. Sex didn't always have to mean something or have strings attached. Everyone desired and deserved some action every once in a while. Of course society's view was a huge double standard. A guy who went out a lot of was "just being a guy", but a girl who went out a lot? Brandish her a slut and trash her reputation. It's not like Friday couldn't take care of herself anyway. She was trained in martial arts and carried a few knives. A Beretta too, just in case. Checking Paul out really couldn't hurt.

"Hey Vi, could I borrow some money? I'm not going to let some dude ruin my chance of checking out some sweet rides."

Violet set down the coffee pot and shrugged. "Sure." She reached into her uniform's pocket and handed Friday a twenty dollar bill.

"Thank you!", Friday beamed as she bolted out the door.

"Spend it wisely!" Violet shouted after her.

An older couple sitting at that counter laughed. Violet smiled sheepishly and rolled her eyes."Sisters."

* * *

 

Paul was relaxing on a bench seat of the carousel. He was listening to hearts of the people around, all pumping different beats of blood flowing through their veins. It was a sound he thoroughly enjoyed, like little drums. He laughed and stretched his arms above his head. In a flash, Friday was sitting next to him, placing a piece of cotton candy in her mouth. Paul was surprised, but gladly so. He was almost positive that he wouldn't see her again tonight. It was a good thing he already fed. Even in a plain white t-shirt and blue jeans he found Friday gorgeous (and delicious) to look at.

"Hello there", he grinned. Friday cocked her head with a mischievous smirk and offered the giant fluff to him. "Want some?"

He laid his arm on the seat behind her shoulders, then leaned over and took a bite. "So, uh, what made you change your mind?", he asked.

"Curiosity" Friday replied before taking another bite of cotton candy.

"Really?"

"Mhm."

Paul leaned in and whispered to her. "Didn't curiosity kill the cat?"

She smiled. "Ah, but satisfaction brought it back. Having nine lives is a pretty nice perk", she whispered back with a wink.

The pair laughed. Friday scooted closer to him. "So, what do you do for fun around here?"

* * *

 

 

_"In the still of the night_

_I held you_

_Held you tight_

_'Cause I love_

_Love you so_

_Promise I'll never_

_Let you go_

_In of the night"_

Violet was singing along softly with The Five Satins while she bused the tables. Dwayne was still hanging around, food long gone. He was amazed to hear Violet singing. She didn't seem like the type to sing love songs. However he wouldn't deny it wasn't pleasing to the ear.

"You have a lovely voice", he complimented as she cleared away his plates.

It was obvious that he was sticking around for bit, perhaps to make her more comfortable (or uncomfortable) with his presence.

Violet blushed bright pink. She didn't realize anyone could hear her. "Uh, thanks. How was everything?"

"Good. The cooks make a mean burger", Dwayne replied.

"Well, you got Lou to thank for that. He trains everyone on backline."

"Hm."

A silence passed between them. Violet felt awkward. Was this how it was going to be for now on? Try to be all buddy-buddy with everyone? Not knowing what to do with herself, she gave a timid smile and walked the dishes into the kitchen.

_'You should really stop worrying so much'_ , Dwayne pushed into her thoughts.

Violet rolled her eyes. _'I'm never really going to stop worrying if you don't leave my brain waves alone.'_

For some reason though, she didn't seem to mind. What she was really worried about was the three blondes he hung out with. If Dwayne could poke around in her head, they definitely could too. He was right though, she needed to let go a little. The stress was probably starting to show on her face. Walking back into the dining area, she wondered if she and Dwayne could ever be friends.

_'Perhaps in another life',_ she thought.

"Perhaps now", called out Dwayne from his booth.

She turned to him, her face softened. "We'll just have to wait and see, now won't we?" She smiled lightly and continued to bus the tables.

* * *

 

"So, where are you from?"

Friday and Paul were strolling down the pier. The rides were forgotten and the cotton candy was finished off. They walked closely. Paul had his arm strung casually around Friday's shoulders. She didn't seem to mind. Something told him if she did she would've spoken up right away.

"I'm from Ann Arbor. Just another college town in Michigan. I'm crashing on my sister's couch" Friday responded.

"Sister huh?" Paul questioned. Violet said she was an only child.

She laughed a little. "Well, we're not blood related. Closest thing I have to a sister though. We've been best friends since high school" she explained.

"Ah, birds of a feather right?" Paul laughed.

"Something like that", giggled Friday.

They stopped and surveyed the ocean. The water was calm, a glittering reflection all the stars in the night sky. "What about you? Are you a Santa Carla native?", she asked.

"Not originally, no. I ran away from New York when I was seventeen. Lived on the streets for a while" Paul said with slight difficulty.

"Only a couple years ago, huh?"

Paul rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah."

He didn't know why, but he didn't like lying to Friday. It was half of the truth though, considering he _was_ seventeen when he ran away. It just happened to be fifteen years ago.

"I think that's why my sister moved out here. She wanted to run away. To be lost, you know?" said Friday gazing up at the sky. She had no idea why she was telling him this. "I guess that's why I'm out here too. To be where nobody could know me. I see the appeal of this place. It has a certain magick to it."

Paul tightened his arm around her. "And what if _I_ wanted to know you?", he said with a low drawl, grabbing her attention.

Friday looked him up and down then smirked. "Well, I guess I could make an exception."

She pulled him in by his collar and pressed her mouth roughly into his. Her whole world was on fire. Violet's warning didn't exist anymore.

Paul reluctantly pulled away first and took Friday's hand. "Come on, I know someplace we can go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank so very much for reading! Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated! 
> 
> XOXOXO 
> 
> ShadowInTheDusk


	19. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonjour, mes cheries! Tis been far too long. So I had a really hard time writing this chapter. It deals with depression and grieving a loved one, and since I have/still deal with both, this hit home for me. I had to put it down a few times before finishing it. Thank you so much for your generous patience. Also I would just like to say that I DO NOT CONDONE SUBSTANCE ABUSE to deal with depression and/or grief or ANYTHING, such as drinking until you're well past oblivion or doing drugs, however I understand that many of us have (myself included) which is why I used it in this chapter. I do support marijuana usage, because it has helped many people without destroying lives. Again though, without abusing it. Anyway, let's get this show on the road!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Lost Boys, just the original characters and most of the plot of this story.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Depression, Grief, Substance Abuse, Loss of Loved Ones

Over the next couple of days things were quiet, giving Violet a much needed sense of peace while she spent her evenings on the boardwalk and at work. Dwayne and the rest of boys respected her rules. She had heard the rumble of their motorcycles each night, but not one of them made any effort to see her. This was something Violet felt truly greatful for. Her nightmares ceased for the past few evenings and she slept pleasantly, dreaming about the days she spent with her mother as a young teenager. But when she woke nostalgia would wrench her heart, causing her fingers to constantly reach for the angelite stone worn around her neck.

Even now as she was laying across the powder blue loveseat in her living room. She laid there in a candy striped t-shirt and ripped blue jeans with her mother's knitted blanket  cocooned tightly around her. Ignoring the sounds of the black and white movie on the TV, Violet played with the stone, wondering about what things might have been if her mother were alive.

' _Everything would have been different.'_ She would've made her mom quit those wretched jobs and refused to let her work. She would've started picking up those odd jobs when she was younger and started saving earlier. She would have used that money and found the best doctors to take care of her, insisting on the best treatments possible. Her mom would've gotten better, would've flourished back to her beautiful, healthy glow.

Violet would've packed them up and bought one-way tickets to Paris. They'd stay in a lavish hotel while apartment hunting, determined to find a place with a balcony to grow potted roses and jasmine flowers. And when they found that place, Violet would make sure her mother was happy for the rest of her life.

Tears stung Violet's eyes. She shifted to face the seat of the couch and curled into a ball.  _Would've, could've, should've._  The tears slid across the bridge of her nose. _Four years._ It had been four years today and she couldn't get over it. She missed her mother so much it'd hurt. It wasn't fair. She never got to comfort her in that darkest hour. Never got to hold her, tell her that she loved her one last time. She hoped her mother was at peace. No pain, no suffering. Just silent and blissful release.

Violet was lost without her. Loneliness swallowed her, drowning her in it. Her thoughts ate her alive. Pulling the blanket tighter, Violet laid there and cried.

A few moments later, the door opened and closed very quietly. The weight of the loveseat shifted and softest of touches ran across her right shoulder.

"Hey Lunebug", Friday's voice said softly. "Ya doing okay?"

Violet wordlessly crawled into her sister's arms and pressed her face against her grey shirt. A muffled sob erupted from Friday's shoulder. They sat like that for a long time, Friday rubbing her back in soothing patterns.

The sobs stopped with the most heartbroken of voices. "I miss her so much."

Friday pulled Violet closer. "I know Vi."

"I'm so stupid. I should've taken better care of her. I should've dropped out and started working earlier. We could've seen the doctor more and she would've been better. I'm such an idiot for moving out here. I should've gone to France like she wanted."

"Hey", shushed Friday. "You're not stupid and you're most definitely not an idiot. You did the best you could for her. You loved her. You still love her. There was nothing you could've done better than than that. You're not stupid for graduating or for moving out here. She would've wanted you to live your own life, to be happy. She would've been so proud to see you graduate. I know she would've been sad to see you leave but I also know she would've helped you pack and move too. Santa Carla is beautiful and wild and colorful and it's just so you, Vi. Your mom knows that. She's watching over you. I know she is, or you wouldn't have found the pendant she gave you. She loves you and wants you to be happy, Vi. Don't ever forget that."

Violet pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Will it ever go away? The hurt?"

Friday shook her head. "I don't know, Lunebug. But it'll get easier. No matter what, you still have my t-shirt to drench."

Violet's eyes widened at the damp spot on Friday's shoulder. "Holy shit." They laughed and Friday dried the tears on Violet's face.

"No biggie", she said. "I just thought it would make you laugh. I got you something while I was out."

She reached into a cloth bag on the floor and pulled out a large bottle with amber liquid. "Fireball Whiskey and", she pulled out a sandwich baggie full of green herbs, "some lovely reefer. In honor of your beautiful mother, Emmanuelle De Flores."

They shared a wicked smile and Violet grabbed the bottle from her. "To Emmanuelle De Flores." She unscrewed the cap and took a long swig. The cinnamon flavor wrapped her tastebuds and warmed, relaxing her body and mind. She pulled the bottle away and licked her lips.

"Let's get fucked up."

* * *

 

Violet didn't remember how they got there, but somehow they ended up at the beach. It was clearly past midnight since all the rides on the boardwalk were closed. The beach was completely deserted and the stars shone brightly in an almost cloud-free sky. For some reason she wasn't wearing any shoes and she was propped up against a log. _'Where did this log come from?'_

Then she remembered that she was sitting around an unlit fire pit with a bottle in her hand and Friday was looking for kindling wood. She giggled thinking that Friday was silly. _'Wood comes from trees, not from sand!_ ' Violet laughed out loud and took a swig from bottle. She pulled it away from her lips and frowned when she realized it was empty, then tossed it at the sand. "Damn", she huffed.

Stumbling her way to stand, she decided she was going to look for Friday. "Friday! We're out of whiskey!"she called out. When no response came, she scoped the beach. There was no one in sight.

She called out again. "Friday!" Nothing, no sound but the wind and ocean. Violet started to panic. "Friday?! Where are you?!"

"BOO!" popped out Friday from behind Violet.

Violet shrieked and fell over in the sand, looking up to see the laughing blonde holding a good size bundle of driftwood and sticks.

"I scared you, I scared you!" she teased.

"You jerk! I thought you were missing!"

"Nope! Man, you should've seen your fa-Oof!"

Violet tripped Friday with her foot and the firewood went flying everywhere. She sat up and shook the sand out of her hair. They glared at each other for moment then laughed.

"Don't do that ever again" scolded Violet as they pulled each other up and regathered the firewood. "We're out of whiskey." They dropped a small bunch of wood into the pit.

"Well lucky for us we still have plenty of that pretty green stash!" said Friday reaching into her pockets. She pulled out the baggie and joint papers then sat on the log. "Wanna light the fire while I roll us a doob?"

Violet howled. "Let's do it!"

She skipped around the fire pit searching for her messager bag, celebrating with a loud victory cry when she found it on the other side of the log. From inside she grabbed a book of matches and a small bottle of lighter fluid (hey, always be prepared!) She doused the wood and lit the whole book. The women cheered when she tossed it on the pile and the fire roared to life.

" 'Doob's almost ready" said Friday as she licked the joint paper.

Violet walked around the pit carefully and plopped down next her. She was impressed by the size. The joint was fat but perfect. Friday lit it up, took a long drag, then handed it to Violet. She inhaled a smaller amount so she wouldn't choke. Exhaling, she added more wood to the fire. Passing the joint back and forth, she gazed into it.

For some reason her mind traveled to Marko. Was he angry? Did he still want to kill her? Would he still kill her, with or without answers to their...connection? If she were to die, she wanted it to be right now. She was higher than a kite and couldn't couldn't feel anything. Not even the breeze that night was blowing in, because Friday threw a denim jacket around her shoulders.

"What's on your mind, Vi?"Violet had the most ethereal expression on her face.

"Death" she whispered.

Friday scooted closer to her, concern evident. "What about it?"

Violet plopped her head on Friday's shoulder. "If I were to die, I'd want it to be right now." 

"Why?"

"Because I can't feel anything."

Friday was worried but didn't press any further. She wrapped her arm around her sister and they stared up at the night sky.

"Do you want another joint?"

"Yes" Violet responded quietly, eyes enraptured with the light of the stars. Her focus on them was interrupted about 20 minutes later by the "Hello there" Friday greeted someone.

 _'Marko.'_  

Her jaw nearly dropped at the sight of him. He donned black leather chaps over blue jeans and a tight white undershirt beneath his patched up jacket. Black leather boots covered his feet and small skull earring dangled from his left ear. He had golden muscular physique that Violet hadn't noticed before and he seemed to glow in the firelight. She felt bit flustered.

' _His eyes.'_

They were a lovely shade of viridan boring into her. His tone was cautious: "Hey. Do you mind if I sit?"

It felt like ages until she replied. "No, go ahead."

He relaxed and sat on the log across the fire. Violet couldn't stop staring at him. Why couldn't she stop staring at him?

"I'm Marko." he said to Friday. She nodded, acknowledging him. "I'm Friday and this Violet." He chewed at his thumbnail and motioned to Violet. "Pleasure. We've met."

Violet couldn't speak. Marko was gorgeous. Ridiculously gorgeous. _Since when the fuck is he so goodlooking?_ Friday looked between them and a fought the smirk that was creeping upon her lips. She'd seen that look on Violet's face before, but never had she seen it on Violet's face _that_ bad.  _'And she said there were no guys.'_

"Well Marko, I only have one question for you." She held up the weed bag. "Do you partake?"

* * *

 

The three passed around the joint, making light conversation. Well, Marko and Friday were anyway. Every once in a while Violet would chime in. She was thoroughly mortified that she gawked at Marko like _that_ and she was damn sure that Friday saw. She never gawked and she knew Friday was never going to let her that down. God, did Marko notice? _'Oh man.'_ She wanted to hide.

Then Friday did the unthinkable. She left her and Marko alone together, claiming she had to use the restroom and didn't want to be "unlady-like." That they should "talk amongst themselves" with a knowing smirk then _fucking_ winked at Violet as she walked away. Ugh. Violet was going to kill her the moment they were alone. But right now, Marko and she were alone.

Marko stared at her from across the fire, chewing at his thumbnail. Violet stared back with her left knee bouncing. Awkward tension hovered between them. Violet wondered if she should say something to break the silence. Hell, what would she even say? _'I'm higher than shite and for some reason felt the need to check you out? You're smokin' hot by the way, even though I kinda hate your guts and you definitely hate mine.'_ No, that would not do. Not at all.

Suddenly Violet remembered there was a flask of black spiced rum in her messager bag. She leaned over the log and rummaged through the bag, silently cursing herself for not thinking of it earlier and thanked the Heavens when finding her bottle of liquid courage.

Marko raised his eyebrows in curiosity. When he saw the flask in Violet's hand, he nearly laughed. Did he really make her that nervous, even after Max's forced peace treaty? He flashed a toothy smile. "What's your poison?"

Violet took a quick sip of the flask, grimacing at the taste. "Black spiced rum", she answered with a hoarse voice. Her mother would definitely disapprove. Sadness washed over her again in remembrance of why she started drinking. _'Mama.'_  

To Marko's surprise she offered the flask to him. He walked around the fire and took it, his fingers brushing hers. Deep heartache rolled off of her in waves. He noticed that she was ridiculously high when he first got there, but the heartache? He couldn't figure out why. She'd been dreaming of someone lately. His nightmares stopped for a couple of nights now, instead dreaming of a beautiful woman and a young, happy Violet. It was refreshing and quite interesting to observe the pair, though he didn't understand what they saying most of the time. He assumed it was French.

He sipped at the flask and sat on the log beside her, putting plenty of space between them before handing it back to her.

"Are you okay?"

It was Violet's turn to be surprised. Was he really asking her that? She wanted to say a smartass remark, but she felt like crying. Why did she constantly have the need to cry lately? She took another swig.

"I will be."

Marko was conflicted. Did he really want to know or should he leave it alone? ' _Too late.'_

"You know, I've been so wrapped up in trying to shut out all of this", her hand waved between Marko and herself,  "that I forgot about my mom. You know she died today?" Violet stopped and laughed. "What a silly question, of course you didn't." The laughter faltered.

"And I, well I didn't forget, I guess I just shut that out too. Then today came and it hit me that I was doing that. Does that make me a bad person? Being so involved with myself that I ignore the things and people that matter to me? Ma Mère?" Tears trickled down her cheeks. Violet let out a shuddered sigh and shoved the flask at Marko to wipe them away with shaking hands.

"I'm sorry", she quickly said with a false smile. "You probably didn't want to hear all that."

Marko gave a somber smile back and screwed the cap onto the flask. "It's fine."

He stared at her, realising that she wasn't quite the vile thing he thought she was.Violet was human, exposed to a new harsh reality while trying to cope with her current one. She was grieving and felt alone, defense continuously switched on to protect herself from being vunerable.

"I've dreamt about you and a woman these past few nights." Marko asked, not quite knowing what else to say. "Is she your mother?"

Violet nodded, her face unreadble. Quietly she reached again in her bag, pulling out the silver box he discovered that night in the cave. She opened it and the soft sweet music played. Violet gently flipped through the photographs and letters inside until she found what she was looking for. "C'est ma Mère."

She showed him a worn black and white photograph of a young woman. She was looking opposite of the camera with a cigarette in her mouth. Her light eyes were crinkled around the corners. Her ski slope nose was scrunched up. She smiled like she was about to laugh. Dark wavy strands escaped from a loose bun hung around her pale oval face. "She's beautiful", said Marko. Violet smiled, eyes not leaving the photo. Marko glanced at her.  _'She's beautiful too.'_ He thought to himself.

"She was my age when this was taken.  It wasn't too long after she met my dad. He took the picture." Violet flipped over the photo. Black cursive was scrawled across the back.  _Emmanuelle. Paris, France. 1966._ Sighing, she put the photo back in the box. The music stopped with the lid snapping shut, and Violet's little moment of happiness was gone.

"Why are you here, Marko?" she asked placing the box carefully back in her bag. Marko thought about it. Why was he here? His brothers and he had drank, fed, and caused mischief amoungst the locals as they did most nights. But he stayed long after the boardwalk had closed, wandering the beach. For hours he looked upon the ocean's waves, thinking about what Max wanted him to do. Befriend Violet? That was hardly conceivable to him.Violet seemed the type to hold a grudge.

Yet fate had intervined once again to see that Marko found her on the beach. Now as he sat next to her, Marko saw that she wasn't as hard as she made herself out to be. She depressed, lonely, and scared, and if he wanted to, he could crush her. But now, he didn't want to. He actually was sorry. Crushing her would never win her trust, and that's precisely what Max wanted him to do, what he himself wanted to do. Swallowing his pride, the words "I'm sorry" left his mouth.

* * *

 

Time stood still as they sat there, Violet staring at Marko. "Tell me I'm completely smashed and just imagined you apologized to me in my drunken stupor."

Marko almost laughed at her. "Of course you're smashed, but you didn't imagine that."

She was in complete shock. She wanted to accept his apology but she was unsure. It didn't feel right with her being so wasted. She didn't want to forgive without actually meaning it. "Can I...can I talk to you about that tomorrow? I'm so lost right now, out of my head. Too much to drink."

"Of course." Marko replied. He knew not to expect immediate retribution, but it still stung a little.

Before they could say anything further a holler echoed from behind them. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything!" Violet looked over her shoulder to Friday wearing a shit eating grin.

Violet's hand immediately covered her face. "Oh my fucking Lord" she mumbled under her breath. She was going to die of embarrassment. Now she really was never going to hear the end of it.

"Nah, just sharing a drink" Marko shouted back, holding up the forgotten flask. He had to laugh. In a lot of ways, Friday was like Paul.

The blonde sat down on other side Violet, letting out a loud yawn. She threw her arm around Violet's shoulders. "Well, I dunno about you two, but I'm about spent. Shall we call it an evening?" Violet gave a silent hallelujah. "Yes please." Marko nodded in agreement. "Right on. Are you two okay to make it home?"

Friday appeared to pull a blanket out thin air. "Probably not, I figured we could lay out on the beach." Violet furrowed her brow. "Where did you get that?" "I acquired it on my way back." Friday shrugged. Marko chuckled while Violet rolled her eyes. Marko stood from the log and stretched his arms above his head. His shirt rode up, showing off his well muscled stomach.

Violet couldn't help but stare again. She quickly looked away when he finished, hoping he didn't catch her. "Goodnight, Friday. Goodnight Violet. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Friday shot her that knowing look. Fuck. "Totally" she mumbled.

"Goodnight Marko. Sweet dreams!" said Friday cheerfully.

"Sweet dreams, ladies" He smiled. _'I mean that.'_ Violet heard in her head, and with that he headed towards the boardwalk. 

As soon as he was out of ear shot, Friday poked Violet in the ribs. "Fibber!" she exclaimed. "You said there were no boys!"

Violet swatted her hand away. "There are no boys!"

"Oh yeah? 'I'll see you tomorrow?' Sounds like boy time to me!"

Violet threw her head back and huffed. "It's not like that. It's...it's..."

"Sexy boy time" Friday finished for her.

Peridot eyes glared at her. "Complicated and platonic are definitely the correct and _final_ terms."

"So you're not hooking up?" asked the blonde with a bit more seriousness.

"No. We're....I guess you could say we're friends."

Friends. The word felt foreign on Violet's tongue. So different and new. She never had a friend she checked out like that, let alone a significant other. All she had were random one night stands, and those were few and far between. This didn't feel like those. No, friends didn't feel like the right word. But she would keep that to herself, for now.

The skepticism was clear on Friday's face. "Uh-huh. You keep telling yourself that. I for one say you should jump his bones."

Violet got up to lay the blanket out. "You always say I should jump someone's bones."

Friday went to help her. "And I mean it every single time! There's nothing wrong with having fun."

The brunette shook out the blanket and sighed. "I know, Friday. But like I said, this is complicated and platonic. No fun ensuing whatsoever."

"Who says? We don't control the universe, you know."

Violet sat on the now smoothed out blanket and rolled her eyes. "I say, for one. For two, I don't want to, and for three, I'm done talking about this. Not everyone is as carefree as you are!"

She could hear the harshness of her tone and immediately felt regret. She hated talking to her best friend that way. Friday sat next to her, placing her hand on Violet's dropped shoulders. Her sister leaned into her.

"I'm sorry." She said softly.

Loving arms wrapped her. "You know I want you to be happy right?"

Tears welled up in Violet's eyes for what felt like the thousandth time. She swallowed hard. "Yeah. It's so hard though, Friday. I want to be, but I hurt too much. I'm so tired of it. I'm so tired all the time."

Friday pulled Violet to her chest and rested her chin on top of her head. "So sleep, and let it go."

 ****Violet wrapped her arms around Friday's waist and sighed into the warmth of her sister's comfort. Sleep was calling her, slowing down her breathing and relaxing her body.

 ****Friday was right. She needed to let it go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Constructive criticism and reviews are always appreciated!
> 
> XOXOXOXO
> 
> ShadowInTheDusk


	20. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I'm horrid at updating, but I hope y'all enjoy!

Violet haphazardly raced through the streets of Santa Carla on her motorcycle praying she would make it on time. Saturday evening had arrived and of course she was running late. It was all Friday's fault. She kept Violet from leaving early, pestering her about her "sexy boy time with Marko." Determined to be on time she had ignored Friday's taunts and practically skipped down the four flights of stairs that led to her apartment. If only she knew that Violet was meeting up with a gang of vampires.  _That_ would wipe the smirk clean off her face.

Racing against the clock, the wind stung her cheeks as she struggled to keep the speed limit. The chilly air bit through her leather jacket and pants. It seemed hopeless that she was going to get there until she saw the bright yellow lights of The Breakroom's neon sign. She hissed a hallelujah when she pulled into the parking lot, killed the engine, and hopped off of her bike. She stopped for a moment to straighten out her appearance. Tonight she was dressed to kill. Her black leather pants hung low,  matching  her jacket and boots. The hem of her tight scoop neck burgandy shirt was just above her hips, exposing her creamy pale skin. Black cherry stained her lips and deep brown shadow rimmed her eyes. She sighed in satisfaction and sauntered her way to the door.

A bouncer briefly checked her ID and let her pass, opening the door and no doubt checking out her ass. Violet rolled her eyes at the thought and looked around once inside. The Breakroom was quiet for a pool hall on a Saturday. The air was smoky and subdued. There wasn't much activity save for a couple of people sitting at the bar and few playing pool. The poor lighting made it hard to spot any of the boys. She was about to step further in when an arm snuck around her shoulder. Violet flinched at the contact, about to protest when she looked up into the eyes of Paul. He smiled at the annoyed face she pulled. "

You're late", he said, and led her to a table in the back of the pool hall.

She wanted to throw his arm off her shoulders but the point was to be here and talk like civilized human beings.  _'Civilized people.'_  Violet corrected herself. The rest of the boys came in sight. David sat at the head of the table while Dwayne sat to his right and Marko to his left. David stared her down as they slowed at the end of the table.

"You're late" he said without humor, indicating that he wasn't at all pleased.

"You look good by the way", said Paul. His eyes looked her up and down mischeviously.

He removed his arm before Violet had a chance to throw it off, gritting her teeth as she took the seat next to Dwayne. He nodded at her, acknowledging her outfit.

"He's right you know." She gave him a glare that said don't encourage him.

She knew she looked good, but the thought of Paul checking her out got on her nerves. If he never stopped her on the street that night maybe she wouldn't be in this mess. Deep down, she knew it wasn't true. Eventually the Lost Boys would've crossed her path or vice versa and she would still be here. Shifting in her seat, Violet looked around the table. Paul was positively bored already, bouncing his knee and  tapping his fingers on the hardwood tabletop. Marko sat across from her, his face stone cold and appearing indifferent. For some reason this pissed Violet off. Instead of commenting she ignored him and moved on.

Dwayne was next to her crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, completely at ease. David on the other hand sat straight up, elbows on the table and gloved fingers laced together. He looked ominous in all his black clothing topped off with an icy glare that cut right through her. Violet wondered how he always managed to send chills down her spine. She tensed, attempting to keep her gaze upon him.

"I'm sorry I'm late, my roommate kept me" she said with great hesitance. David's gaze didn't break. "Anyway, I wanted to meet here to discuss the nature of this...acquaintanceship we are to have."

"Acquaintanceship?" David questioned with a raise of his eyebrow. There was a hint of mockery in his tone.

Violet bit her lip, trying not to snarl. "I wouldn't exactly call us the best of friends now, would you?" she said heatedly. "I want to talk terms. About how to act."

"I think we act just fine, don't we?" snickered Paul.

Violet threw him a look of disgust. "Hardly. Cutting me off on the sidewalk just to hit on me is definitely not fine. It's downright disrespectful.  I don't find that shit funny."

Paul waved the comment away. "Whatever" he mumbled.

"Anyway," Violet emphasized with annoyance, "I will be respectful of you if you are respectful of me. You can trust me." Despite recent accounts, Violet was loyal. She kept secrets without expecting anything in return and no ill willed intentions to those who entrusted her with them. She hoped David could provide the same. "I won't tell anyone what isn't mine to tell" she continued softly.

David's demeanor didn't change, but a strange smile graced his lips. "Not that you have much of a choice now, do you?"

Violet snorted. "No, I really don't. It's not like anyone would believe me anyway."

"You'd be suprised." he retorted. "But that's for another time. What we're really here to discuss is yours and Marko's connection. It seems like you have nothing better to dream about than death, is that right?"

His words felt like a sharp jab to Violet. Her jaw clenched. Instantly a foot lightly kicked hers under the table. _"Relax,"_  a thought in Dwayne's voice warned.

 "Not entirely" Violet replied  "I've been dreaming of my mother. Happy times, if you must know."

David looked to Marko. "And you've been sharing those too?"

"Yes. I don't understand what they say half of the time, but those dreams are better. Happier." Marko's words were monotone but his eyes burned through her from across the table. Her mind flashed to the night before and she felt flushed. Even sober she couldn't deny those previous thoughts. Friday was right and Violet hated her for it. "Interesting", said David, interrupting Violet's thoughts. She was hyper aware of him now, wondering if he peeked into her mind. "And what about what happened at the bar the other night?"

Her stomach churned. "I...I don't know. It's never happened before. Something came over me and I didn't have control. I was scared shitless. I still am." Her hands began to noticeably shake. She pulled them into her lap. "Look, this is still news to me as much as it is to you. I'm not hiding some special secret or have a hidden agenda. I'm just a normal woman from Detroit trying to process this past week. Please, cut me some slack and stop popping up everywhere I go. I'm losing my goddamn mind." Violet chuckled during the last of her sentence but tears welled up in her eyes. She dabbed them away and sighed.

David mulled over her speech. Max was right: she didn't know what she was. The scary part was neither did they. If they gave her space, maybe they could actually figure out this whole mess without it resulting in a bloodbath. David could feel a powerful energy between Marko and Violet; mysterious and frightening. He was afraid to lose his brother if things went badly and that was not a chance he was willing to take. Violet noticably tensed awaiting his response. David almost laughed at the irony. This poor kid reminded him of Marko right before he was turned. Barely 20, hurt, vicious, always ready for a fight. Yet underneath it all she was mischievous and wild, a fire burning in her soul. Just like Marko. He fought a smile, knowing that if he did Violet would think he was making fun of her.

"You'll have your space. For now. You can't avoid us for long." David said calmly.

"I wasn't planning to." Violet replied in amazement, like he had given her the greatest of treasures. "Dwayne has my contact info."

They stared at each other in mutual understanding, a chesire cat grin creeping along Violet's mouth. The calm scene was interrupted by the slamming of Paul's palm on the table.

"Well!", he said dramatically, already halfway out of his seat. "I dunno about you fucks, but I could sure use a drink." He threw arm around Marko's shoulders. "What say you, bud? How do shots sound?"

"Sure", Marko said, eyes still not tearing away from Violet. "Black spiced rum sounds boss." His words caught Violet's attention. She froze, looking much the doe in the headlights she was a few nights ago.

Paul looked between them, confused by the exchange. "Oookay, what about you, D-man?" he pointed at David.

"Just JD's, man."

Violet envied his ease. Marko was staring at her like he was going to kill her again. Or worse, eat her. Nobody else seemed to notice. _'Or care.'_  

Dwayne ordered vodka and she hoped that Paul wouldn't ask her in fear of saying something deliberately stupid.

Unfortunately:

"Anything for ya, sweetheart?"

"Don't call me that, fucker. Long Island iced tea", she growled, instantly regretting the words that slipped so  _eloquently_ out of her mouth.

Paul simply raised one eyebrow and walked over to the bar. He came back a few moments later with a tray of shots and tall glass of amber liquid with a straw sticking out the top.   _'Shit.'_ There was no way of backing out now. Everyone took their glasses, Violet being last. She removed the straw and set it on the tray.   _'You stupid fuck, why did you have open your mouth?'_ Everyone raised their glasses.

"To fuckery and mischief." Violet toasted, then quickly downed the whole glass.

The boys roared in agreement and followed suit. They continued for 3 more rounds, Violet downing each glass after the other. Blood rushed to her head and she closed her eyes, knowing it was stupid to drink like that.  _'Stupid stupid stupid stupid...'_ her mind sang. It took a few moments but Dwayne gently pulled her back into her seat. Her stomach was on fire from the bitterness. She wanted to throw up. Fingers pushed her bangs off her forehead and she calmed down. The fingers lingered there for a fraction of a second. Long enough for Violet's eyes to snap open and see Marko leaning over the table, slowly pulling away.  _'Pretty pretty pretty pretty'_ her mind now chanted as grin bestowed her lips. She giggled.  _'You're so fucked.'_

He now stood tall and smiled brightly, glowing like the night before. "Looks like drink has gotten the best of you,  _fatina."_

Her face scrunched in confusion of the unfamiliar term before giggling again. "Shut up. _Putain,_ I'm groovy _."_

Her movements felt fluid as she stood. The boys matched her now wicked smile and they all laughed. Everything was so light. Violet felt like she could float away. "Let's ditch this place. I want to dance!" she exclaimed in spontaneity.

Dwayne, Marko, and Paul looked to David, waiting for the final say. "We shan't deny the lady what she wants. Let's go, boys." he said, eyes shining with hunger.

They shuffled out the door to the parking lot, riled up with the idea hunting (Violet of course being the exception.) They each mounted their bikes. Violet was about to swing her leg over the Triumph when she was pulled back. Irritated, she came face to face with Marko. He stood there with mischievous grin. "Nuh-uh, _fatina_ " he tutted. "You're riding with me."

She was so bewildered that she didn't see him take her keys and led her to his bike. He mounted it and held out his hand to her. She hesitated. She didn't trust him and yet she felt he was being sincere. Then it dawned on her that riding completely smashed wasn't a great idea. Her reluctance was gone and she followed his lead.  ' _What is **up** with him?" _ she wondered as they mounted his bike. She couldn't help thinking he wanted something from her. As the engines revved the boys howled, reminding Violet of a pack of wolves.

"Let's go for a ride!" shouted David.

One by one they zipped down the street. Violet held tightly to Marko's waist, hoping that he wasn't a horrible driver. Left. Right. Left. Left. They sped faster through the streets, so fast that the lights began to blur around them. A particularly sharp turn caused Violet to shriek and hide her face in Marko's shoulder. She scowled as she felt him shake with laughter.

"Don't worry, Violet" he called over the rumbling motorcycle, "I'll keep you safe."

The bike began to slow and she pulled her face away from Marko's shoulder. They stopped in front of a warehouse on the water. No one was in sight but loud music reverberated through the ground. Violet smiled wickedly at the thought of the underground club scene. She had been to a couple of punk clubs back in Ann Arbor but none as large as this space appeared. They dismounted the motorcycles, Paul and Marko shoving each other in excitement. David walked over to Violet, offering his black leather gloved hand to her. She took it with no hesitation. Whatever anxiety she had was overthrown by a sense of belonging and regalness.

They walked smoothly through the doors of the club. The lights were red, the color of blood on the floor. INXS  blared through the speakers. She felt like a goddess as all eyes looked upon them. " _This is it."_ Violet thought. " _This is what it is to be one of them."_ They cut through the crowd with ease. The vibrations of the music made Violet sway. She let go of David's hand and moved further in the crowd, hips rolling to the beat. She rocked back and forth with her eyes closed. Her arms snaked themselves in the air as she sang softly with the lyrics.

Meanwhile, Marko stood from afar, admiring Violet's beautiful form. She glowed under the light as she danced. In the sea of bodies she stood out to him. Her creamy skin. The soft shape of her curves. The way her mouth looked as she sang the lyrics. He wanted her. He wanted her bad. This was a problem. He was positive that she didn't trust him one bit. Anyone of his pack would tell that he was right. How could this be? Less than a week ago he tried to kill her. There was no way that this was plausible. But his desire overwhelmed him. He felt his feet moving toward her. He could smell her scent through the crowd.  Spicy and woodsy. He stopped less than a foot away. He leaned toward her.

"May I dance with you?" he asked in a low growl.

Violet's eyes fluttered open and she smiled coyly at him. "You may."

She snaked her arm around his neck and pressed herself against him. They swayed together staring intensely into one another's eyes, completely ignoring the ooo's and laughter from the rest of their clan. An idea popped into her head. She stood on her toes and Marko could feel her breath as she spoke.

"You really want to make a scene?"His breath hitched as he felt her hands slip under his jacket. 

"Definitely." Marko replied, entranced by the sound of Violet's voice.

Her smile turned into a delicious smirk. She ground her hips tightly against his and he gulped.  _'Two can play this game.'_ His hands grabbed her hips and squeezed them. Violet's eyes widened in desire. He flipped her around and ground into her ass, laughing as she meowed at him. The ooo's turned into full blown howling as they continued their dance. Every touch burned Violet's skin. Finally she had enough.

She flipped around again and stood on her toes to whisper in his ear. "Let's get out of here."

It was Marko's turn smirk. "I thought you'd never ask."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated!
> 
> Xoxoxox 
> 
> ShadowInTheDusk


	21. Author's Note: Advisor Needed!

Hey Doll faces!

  So I need some assistance. I'm currently attempting sexy writing and am not sure how I'm doing. If anyone with experience would like to go over my draft when I get it all typed up and give pointers that would be fabulous. PM or comment if you're interested!

 


	22. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! I hope you enjoy my try at sexy writing. Bare with me, I'm new at it!

Marko and Violet crashed into the building's wall in a tight embrace. Neither of them exactly knew how this was happening right now. It seemed implausible to try to kill someone, hate them, then want to jump their bones in less than two weeks. However, it was happening and Violet didn't want it to stop.

She couldn't help reaching for every inch of skin exposed. The cool touch of Marko's neck, his chest, his abdomen; it felt divine under her fingertips. The way Marko's teeth played with the curve of her neck should have terrified her. Instead it sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. Her heart raced as he sucked at the skin, humming in appreciation of the rapid pulse under his lips. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her body close to his. Violet sighed at the motion and her hands raked through Marko's hair. She tugged at it, digging her nails into his scalp. Tilting her head she nipped at Marko's ear, eliciting a low growl. She thought for a moment before licking the shell of it, wondering if he was just as hot as she was. Then she thought of something that made her smirk.

"Can we play rough?" she whispered breathlessly. "I want to feel you everywhere, even when you're gone. "

Marko pulled away from neck. He beamed at her with a devilish grin. "You do, huh?" he said, running his nose along hers. "Show me. "

It was Violet's turn to smile. Her hips ground tightly into his. She flipped them so Marko's back was against the wall. Taking his hand from her waist, she slid it agonizingly slow up her body to her throat. Violet looked at him with fierce lust as she pressed his fingers around the pale flesh. Marko eyed her throat hungrily. He gripped the area lightly and Violet let out a breathy sigh.

" _Fuck_." Marko hissed, pushing his grip tighter.

Her gaze focused on how his eyes were swallowed by black with a ring of viridian. Her hands now traveled to his collar and closed the gap between them. Immediately she pressed his her hot wet mouth against his and slipped her tongue between his lips. Violet moaned in his mouth. Marko smirked into the kiss, reveling in the sweetness of her taste. He inhaled as her hands slid from his collar and underneath his shirt. Dragging her nails sharply along his stomach caused Marko's growls to grow louder. Somehow she knew how to get under his skin. It felt like fire and he wanted to get burned. Violet's hands slid up his body again, now pushing his shoulders into the wall. She pulled away with a loud pop and attacked his shoulder with her teeth. The pressure wasn't harsh to Marko but it was enough to put him on edge.

"Troublemaker." He stated, switching their positions.

Violet laughed hoarsely as he choked her. "You know it, _m_ _on cher._ "

Her eyes fluttered shut and he kissed her again. His hand slipped from her throat to her ass, digging his fingers into the leather. She groaned at the touch and laved her tongue against his. Her hands roamed his upper body, appreciating the ripples of his muscles while he palmed her pubic bone. Gasping against his lips, Violet melted into the wall in pure bliss.

"Touch me. " she panted.

His hand continued rubbing against her. "What was that,  _fatina_?" he toyed.

Not wanting to play his game, she grabbed Marko by the jaw. "You heard me. " she gritted out before letting out a soft moan. "Touch me."

Before she knew it her pants were unzipped and Marko's fingertips slipped through her wet folds. He massaged her clit with quick expertise.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. " _Oh fuck."_

Marko steadied Violet's frame as she slid down the wall. "I got you,  _fatina."_ he rasped.

He looked in awe at Violet's serene expression. If he didn't know any better he would say it was angelic. But she was a hellcat, devilish and taunting. He smirked at the thought, though it it instantly wiped of his face when he felt Violet's hands grip him through his pants. He groaned, causing Violet to look up at him with hooded eyes and the twitch of a smile on her lips.

"Yoohoo! Lovebirds!" an all too familar voice called into the alley way. The smile fell off of Violet's face as panic set in.

"Fucking Paul!" Marko grunted angrily.

Of course he would show. Just when things were getting good too. Violet sighed and untangled herself from him, glaring daggers down the alley.

"I'm going to kill him. " she growled while zipping up her pants. Marko nodded in agreement. She grabbed his collar and pulled him close. "Don't think that just because fuckstick over there butted in,  that this isn't going to happen." she whispered in lust. "My place?"

He beamed at her. Placing a brief kiss on her lips, they casually laced fingers and walked out the alley. Paul stood there impatiently with David and Dwayne. "About time, bro!"

"Get fucked." said Violet with aloofness as they walked passed him.

He smiled at her with a shit eating grin that oddly reminded her of Friday. "You wish, babe." Marko let go of Violet's hand and slugged Paul in the shoulder. He held it shock. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"You owe me, you cockblock. " shrugged Marko. He rejoined a smirking Violet and strung his arm around her shoulders. "Don't wait up for me!" he called over his shoulder as the pair walked away, leaving David and Dwayne to laugh at an awestruck Paul.

"Damn. That girl has worked some serious magic on him. " he said.

Dwayne clapped him on the shoulder. "She has indeed, brother. She has indeed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the shortness of this! Thank you so much for reading! Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated. 
> 
> XOXOXOX
> 
> ShadowInTheDusk


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